Pretend
by krystalsteph
Summary: Who knows if they're even pretending anymore...
1. The Offer

This story begins during Best Laid Plans, but it takes a much different turn. Please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rookie Blue.

=====Pretend======

" _I'm coming over."_

After hanging up the phone, Andy quickly throws the cat food back into the cabinet, heads out the door and makes her way to Sam's. She can't seem to get there fast enough as she jogs down the street towards his house. She's got this giant grin on her face and she's just itching to see him.

She starts to speed up into a steady run and once she's about halfway there, her phone starts to ring, forcing her to slow down and fish it out of her pocket. She doesn't recognize the number, but she answers it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." A smile plays on her lips as she hears the familiar sound of Sam's voice.

"Hey," she replies. "Whose phone is this?" She asks, glancing again at the unknown number flashing on the screen.

"Boyd's." He informs her as if it's completely normal for him to be calling her from Boyd's phone.

"Oh… why are you calling me from Boyd's phone?" She inquires as she gets a sinking feel in the pit of her stomach.

"I had to leave my phone at home…. the op is starting early… I'm uh… I'm going undercover tonight." He explains.

"What! Tonight? Why?" She exclaims, stopping dead in her tracks. "What happened to having three weeks?" She adds.

"They found someone to make the introduction tomorrow morning," he informs her.

"Oh…" She says softly, as she wonders whether he's already listened to her voicemail. Honestly, the thought makes her feel a little dizzy.

"Yeah, but my partner bailed at the last minute… she wasn't prepared to go for another few weeks" he tells her.

"Partner? I didn't realize you were going under with someone else," she replies. And yeah, that realization instantly makes Andy feel uncomfortable. Thinking about Sam spending months and months alone with another woman… she doesn't love it.

"Yeah, they want me to have back up, so she was going to play my fiancée." He explains.

The more he speaks, the worse she feels. She _really_ doesn't like the idea of him playing house with someone else for God knows how long. Thoughts of him with some beautiful blonde start to fill her mind. She imagines them making breakfast together in their pajamas, snuggling up on the couch while watching the hockey game, kissing and holding each other in front of strangers to sell their cover. And by the time he finally interrupts her thoughts, she's already starting to feel sick.

"Andy? You still there?" He asks. It's then that she realizes she hasn't said anything in far too long.

"Yeah, I'm here," she confirms. "So uh what are you going to do now?" She questions.

"Well… I was kind of hoping you'd want the job." He says with a slight laugh and a smile dancing on his lips.

" _Really_? Boyd is okay with that?" She asks with a grin.

"Well, I may have reminded him of how well you did last time," he tells her.

"Yeah well, I _did_ kind of save your ass," she says with a chuckle.

"Yeah, you did," he agrees, still smiling. "So… what do you think?" He probes.

"We have to leave tonight?" She inquires.

"Yeah," he says with a sigh, waiting for the inevitable decline of his last minute invitation. It was silly of him to get his hopes up anyway. He should've known that she wasn't serious when she offered to come with him this afternoon.

"Well… I wouldn't mind getting away for a while…" She teases. And a smile instantly spreads across his face.

"That's the spirit," he tells her with a bit of sarcasm. "Are you at Traci's? Can you be ready in 20 minutes?" He asks, gesturing to Boyd with a thumbs up.

"I was actually on my way to your place…" She informs him, sheepishly.

"My place?" He asks. "Why?" He wonders.

"So, I'm walking down Grove Street… can you pick me up?" She asks, purposefully ignoring his question.

"Uh… sure… I'm just at the station right now… I have to grab a couple things and then we'll come pick you up in… I don't know, ten minutes? Then we can go by Traci's so you can pack," he tells her.

"Great, see you soon." Andy says before hanging up the phone, as she tries to process what just happened. What did she just agree to? She is going to go undercover with Sam Swarek. She is going to be living with Sam for months or maybe longer. She is going to have to pretend to be his fiancée. How is she going to survive this?

All of those thoughts she had moments ago of Sam and the mystery blonde… now she's imagining the two of them eating breakfast together, watching the hockey game, kissing and holding hands and trying to convince everyone around them that they are madly in love.

Her stomach is doing flips and her heart is pounding into her throat. The thought of playing house with Sam is terrifying, but she can't deny that it is also ridiculously exciting. And no matter how terrified she is, the thought of him doing this with anyone else is enough to convince her that it's the right decision.

Luckily, it's not long before an SUV pulls up beside her, effectively saving her from her thoughts.

"Hey," Sam says, as he rolls down the window.

"Hey," Andy responds, opening the car door and jumping in the back seat.

"Where to?" Boyd asks as Andy buckles her seat belt.

"Go down Chadwick," Sam instructs before Andy has a chance to answer. "And then take a right down Piper," Sam adds before he turns to face Andy in the back seat. "Thanks for doing this," he tells her, exposing his dimples with a smile.

"Thanks for asking," she responds with a smile of her own. "So, tell me everything," she requests.

"So, the guy we are going after is Jamie Brennan… here's his file," Sam informs her as he hands her a thick file detailing all of Brennan's alleged crimes.

Andy flips the file open and starts to skim the various police reports. "The last thing in here is from six years ago… there isn't anything more recent?" She asks, looking up at Sam.

"He went straight when he got married, but his wife and daughter died in a car accident a few months ago and the word is that he's gotten back into the life," Boyd explains.

Andy nods, as she continues to skim through the documents Sam gave her until they get to Traci's house.

"I've got to make a few calls, but meet me back down here in ten minutes," Boyd tells them as Sam and Andy jump out of the car.

"Sure," Sam says, before shutting the car door. He places his hand on the small of Andy's back as he leads her up the steps to Traci's front door. Andy silently thanks God that no one is home at the Nash residence. She does not want to spend the next ten minutes answering questions.

Andy quickly unlocks the door, holds it open for Sam and then follows him inside. Then, she leads him upstairs to the Nash's guest bedroom, where she has been staying since moving out of the home she shared with Luke.

Sam tries to stay out of the way as she grabs a suitcase, throws it on the bed and then starts to dig through her drawers and rifle through her closet.

"You don't have to do this, you know," Sam tells her, as he watches her nervously folding clothes and placing them in her suitcase.

"Huh?" She asks, looking up at him.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to do this just because we're kind of in a bind… I'm sure we can find someone else… I just thought… I mean, earlier you made it seem like you wanted to go…" He reminds her.

A smile appears on her lips as she enjoys the way he's babbling on. "I wouldn't have agreed if I didn't want to go," she assures him.

"Okay… good." He says with a nod.

"Good," she agrees with a reassuring smile before she continues to pack up her suitcase. "So… tell me about myself," She says, while folding a Toronto Blue Jays t-shirt.

"Okay… uh, so your name is Candace Roy," he begins. "You're 28 years old and grew up in Halifax. You had a really rough childhood, in and out of foster homes because your parents were drug addicts. You started using at 16 and eventually starting dealing to support your habit. You were arrested at 17 and were placed in a juvenile facility until your eighteenth birthday. When you got out, you had a few possession charges and at 22, you were sentenced to twenty eight months in prison for intent to distribute. Your drug of choice was opiates, but you got clean in prison and have been ever since. You were able to get an administrative job at an insurance agency, but when they found out you lied on your resume, you got fired. We met shortly thereafter and you decided to move to Toronto to be with me, but you're still unemployed."

Andy nods, taking it all in and committing the story to memory, as she continues to pack her things.

"And you?" She asks.

"Jason Dupont or JD. I'm 32 and grew up just outside of Toronto. I spent five years in prison for almost killing an ex-business partner of mine who tried to rip me off. We had a decent sized smuggling operation together. I have this boat, which we used to smuggle drugs, weapons, you name it… but obviously when I went to prison, I lost a lot of my contacts. So anyway, when I got out and met Candace, I tried to go straight… for the most part… but I still do a few small jobs here and there to pay the bills… but like I said, I'm trying to go straight, so I have a job interview at Jamie Brennan's warehouse tomorrow… and word is that Jamie is looking for an assistant, so hopefully if I get this job, we can start mingling with the other employees and maybe get you a job there, too," he tells her, as he watches her zip up her luggage.

"Yeah, I mean, an assistant would have tons of access. I could get a look at his financials… I'd probably overhear a lot of conversations that you might not be able to," she thinks out loud.

"Exactly," he says with a nod.

Andy smiles and lifts her suitcase off the bed and starts making her way towards the door. Sam stops her and grabs the suitcase from her, before walking down the stairs.

"Thanks," she says, as she follows him.

As they get to the front door, Sam turns around and faces Andy. "You should call Traci and your Dad before Boyd takes your phone," he suggests.

She nods and pulls her phone out of her pocket. "I'll meet you outside," Sam says, before opening the front door and leaving Andy alone in the Nash kitchen.

===============Pretend===============

The next hour is a complete whirlwind.

Once they get to the undercover apartment, Boyd points out each and every camera and shows Sam and Andy how to work them. Afterwards, he reminds Sam what time he has to be at Jamie Brennan's warehouse the next afternoon and hands them each their new cell phones and a set of keys- one to the apartment and one the car they'll have to share.

"Don't screw this up, McNally," he tells her before walking out the front door. Both Sam and Andy roll their eyes before shutting the door behind him.

Sam blows out a breath as he follows Andy back up the stairs and watches as she explores their apartment.

"What do you think?" He asks, moving towards her.

"A lot nicer than I was expecting… I still have nightmares thinking about that apartment they stuck you in for the Anton Hill case," she says with a chuckle as she runs her hand over the kitchen table and walks towards the bed.

" _You_ have nightmares? _I'm_ the one who actually lived there for eight months," he laughs.

"I don't know how you did it," she says, shaking her head, before walking towards the bed.

Until now, she hadn't considered the fact that there would probably only be one bed. It made sense. They _were_ supposed to be engaged after all.

Sam seems to immediately pick up on her thoughts. "Don't worry, I can sleep on the couch," he tells her as he stands beside her.

Andy glances over at the couch and then turns back towards him. "Sam, that couch is _tiny_. There is no way you can sleep on that thing every night for God knows how long," she argues.

"I'll be fine," he says, waving her off.

"Sam, we're adults, we can sleep in the same bed," she announces, confidently. "It's not like I'm going to jump you in your sleep," she teases.

He chuckles at her words as a smile graces his lips. "I don't know, McNally… are you sure you'll be able to keep your hands off me?" he asks, wiggling his eyebrows and flashing his dimples.

"I think I'll manage," she tells him with a roll of her eyes.

"Mhm…" he says, as if he doubts what she's saying.

"Who are you kidding? You'd love it!" She jokes. Now it's his turn to roll his eyes.

"Seriously Sam, you're _really_ going to sleep on the couch?" She doubts. "If you're really worried, we can build a pillow wall in between us," she quips.

"Hilarious," he says, sarcastically.

"C'mon, you're being ridiculous," she informs him.

"Fine McNally, you win. If it means _that_ much to you, I'll sleep in the bed with you," he tells her, triumphantly.

"Shut up," she says, rolling her eyes. "Now you're definitely sleeping on the couch," she jokes.

"You can't take it back now, McNally," he retorts with a smile as he walks over to the fridge and opens it up, inspecting what's inside. "Beer?" He offers.

"Yes please!" She says, enthusiastically.

Sam lets out a laugh before he meets her in the middle of the room and hands her the bottled beer after twisting the cap off for her.

"Thank you," she says, before taking a sip and following Sam over to the couch. He swiftly kicks his shoes off, collapses on the couch and puts his feet on the coffee table. Andy slips her shoes off, as well, as then sits down beside him. She ends up sitting much closer to him than he was expecting, but he doesn't mind.

"So…" He begins.

"So…?" She repeats, glancing over at him.

"Why were you on your way to my house?" He asks. The question has been on his mind ever since she casually mentioned it earlier that night.

"Oh, that… I just wanted to tell you something," she says with a nervous shrug.

"Well, I'm all ears," he replies, turning towards her so they're facing each other.

"It's not important," she insists.

"Yet, you were going to walk all the way to my place, in this weather, to tell me? You do have my number, McNally," he reminds her.

"I know… it's nothing. I'll tell you later," she says, dismissively, hoping he'll let it go.

"Okay…" He says, with a confused look on his face. Truthfully, the last thing he wants to do is let this go. It's just that, the way she's acting… it's making him want to know even more. He's wracking his brain, trying to figure out what on earth she would've wanted to tell him, but he comes up with nothing.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" She asks, trying to change the subject.

"Uh, well, I'm meeting my contact at 1:00 and then we're meeting Jamie at two. I'll probably be done around 3:00… do you want to give me a ride so you can have the car?" He asks.

"Sure… it's probably a good idea to make myself known around there, so I have a better chance at getting that assistant job," she thinks out loud. Sam nods in agreement. "So, what am I supposed to be doing while you're at your interview?" She asks after finishing off her beer. She jumps off the couch and grabs another one from the fridge.

"Maybe you can get some groceries?" He suggests. "I don't think we'll survive very long on the beer and frozen pizzas that's in there."

"Okay, make me a list and I'll stop by the store," she says, before plopping down on the couch.

"We've been here forty five minutes and it's like we're already married," he jokes, causing her to roll her eyes.

"That reminds me," he tells her before getting off the couch and digging through his luggage.

"What are you doing?" She asks, peering over the back of the couch.

"Ah, here it is," he says before walking back towards her. He is holding something in his hand, but she can't see what it is.

"What?" She asks, as he sits down on the couch beside her. This time he is facing her and they are sitting even closer than before. His knee is touching her thigh, but she doesn't move it. He opens his palm, exposing a diamond engagement ring. He picks it up with his other hand and presents it to her.

"We're engaged, remember?" He asks, when he sees her confused expression.

"I remember," she says, simply. "Are you sure JD would have bought Candace a ring? I mean, this looks expensive and they're both unemployed," she explains.

Sam furrows his brow. "Yes, JD definitely would have bought Candace a ring," he says confidently. For some reason, the thought of her not having a ring is completely unacceptable to him. "If it makes you feel better, we can pretend he bought it with drug money," he concedes.

"Okay," she agrees. Sam takes Andy's hand and slowly slides the ring on her finger. Her skin is tingling from his touch, but she doesn't want it to stop. When he lets go of her hand, she takes a moment to admire her new jewelry. It fits surprisingly well and it's actually really beautiful.

"Where'd you get this?" She wonders.

"The evidence room. Picked it out just for you, McNally," he says, only half teasing. "Like it?" He asks.

"Way nicer than my last one," she says. The second it comes out, she regrets bringing up her engagement to Luke, but Sam doesn't seem to let it bother him.

"Yeah, we'll this one seemed more like you," he tells her, as if it's nothing. But, he's right. This ring _is_ completely her. She definitely wouldn't mind having an engagement ring that looks exactly like this. Her stomach does a flip at the thought that he knows her so well, and at the fact that he actually thought about her when he picked it out. She knows it's silly. They aren't actually engaged. They aren't even dating. Yet, she still loves the fact that he actually considered whether she would like it when he picked it out.

"It's beautiful," she tells him as she meets his gaze. She wants to tell him how much it means to her, but for now, she's hoping that he can tell simply from the look in her eyes.

He smiles, flashing his dimples and she turns her attention back to the beautiful ring that has suddenly made a permanent home on her finger.

"Do you think Candace would like it?" She teases.

"She better. J.D. spent _a lot_ of money on it." They both laugh, but then the apartment falls silent.

"So, this is what you had to pick up from the station?" She asks.

"That and some untraceable guns… can't really use our government issued ones," he reminds her. She nods, still mesmerized by the diamond on her finger.

"So… did this belong to a murder victim or something?" She asks, referencing the ring once again. "Wait, do I want to know?" She questions, before he has the chance to answer.

"I'm hurt, McNally, you really think I would give you a ring that I stole from a dead woman?" He asks, pretending to be offended.

Andy shrugs with a teasing look on her face, causing Sam to let out a chuckle. "They bagged it along with a bunch of stolen property… couldn't find the real owner, so it's been sitting in evidence for years," he explains.

Andy nods, while playing with the ring on her finger. "I can't believe it fits… how'd you know my ring size?" She asks.

"Lucky guess," he tells her.

She eyes him for a moment, unsure whether she should believe him.

"It's getting kind of late… we should probably get ready for bed," Sam declares, effectively changing the subject.

Andy glances at the clock and then back at Sam. "Yeah, let's go," she agrees.

===============Pretend===============

It's about forty five minutes later that the two of them are lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep.

"Do you think everyone's gonna miss us?" Andy asks, out of the blue, as she shifts in the bed to face him.

"Of course, McNally, we're awesome," he replies, earning a brief chuckle from the woman beside him.

"It's weird, though. I'm used to seeing them every day and now… who knows the next time I'll get to see any of them," she muses.

"Having second thoughts?" He questions as he props his head up on an elbow.

She consider the question for a moment before decisively shaking her head. "No… like I said, I needed to get away," she assures him.

"From Callahan?" He wonders. Although, he regrets the question the moment it leaves his lips. The last thing he wants to be discussing right now is how much she misses him.

"Yes and no," she admits. "I mean, I'm _completely_ over him… I was over him a lot faster than you _should_ get over someone you were about to marry," she adds, taking Sam by surprise. "It's weird, you'd think I would be heartbroken, you know? But, I'm not… never was. I was just… pissed. I still am… I'm pissed at him, obviously and pissed at Jo, but mostly I'm just pissed at myself… I mean, why did I move in with him? Why did I agree to marry him? We hadn't even been together for that long and I accidentally find this ring and he proposes and I just say yes? It was almost like a reflex or something… And yeah, I was happy, but I don't know… I don't think I was happy enough to get _married_ ," she explains. "I just don't know why I let him rush me into all of that. I think that maybe I was just trying to force it, you know? Because it was normal and I just… I never had normal growing up and I desperately wanted it. And I guess that I thought he was the safe choice… but in reality, I'd been having _a lot_ of doubts about him… about us. I'm just pissed that I didn't listen to my gut when it was telling me that something was off," she confesses.

She's not sure why she's telling him all of this. She can't imagine this is anything close to the conversation he would like to be having at this moment, but for some reason, she just couldn't stop the word vomit from coming out of her mouth. The thing is, it's kind of nice to finally say it out loud.

"So… why didn't you?" Sam asks when he realizes that Andy is finished speaking.

His question surprises her. The fact that he was even listening surprises her.

"I mean, it didn't seem like you had any doubts," he adds, sensing her shock.

"I don't know," she shrugs. "I guess I just thought that I was just freaking out… having cold feet, you know? I thought that he'd make me happy, that we would be happy together… I mean, everyone was pushing me towards him, even _you_ ," she reminds him. And the way she says it isn't angry or accusatory, but he immediately cringes at her words, knowing that they're the truth.

"God, Andy, if I had known he was going to do… _that_ , I never would have… I thought he was the safe choice, too. I thought he made you happy and I just… I _want_ you to be happy," he tells her, struggling to find the right words as he nervously runs his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry," he adds.

"Sam, this isn't your fault. _I'm_ the one that agreed to marry him," she reminds him. "Anyway, I'm just happy to get away from him and from everyone else at 15. I'm _so_ sick of seeing the pity in everyone's eyes. I just feel like every time they look at me, they still see the woman whose fiancé cheated on her," she says, staring back up at the ceiling.

"Andy, that's not what they see," he assures her.

"Yes it is… it's written all over their faces," she retorts.

"Well, you know what I see when I look at you?" he asks, waiting for her to meet his gaze. "I see an incredible cop who never ceases to amaze and impress me. I see an absurdly tenacious woman who always has this unrelenting belief in people. I see the person who always calls me out when I'm being an ass. I see the best partner I've ever had," he tells her.

And yeah, she desperately biting the inside of her cheeks to stop her eyes from watering. That was probably one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to her and he's acting as if it's no big deal.

"Thanks, Sam," she says with a smile, because there's no way she could string a sentence together at this moment.

"You're welcome," he replies, with a smile of his own. After that, they lie in silence for a few minutes.

"Goodnight," Andy tells him before she drifts off to sleep.

"Goodnight, McNally."

===============Pretend===============

When he wakes up the next morning, he almost laughs out loud. Somehow all of the blankets migrated to Andy's side of the bed, during the night, leaving him with absolutely nothing.

"You hog the covers," he whispers, when he sees her eyes fluttering open.

"Do not," she argues, still half asleep. She stretches and sits up before looking at the two of them in bed together. And when she sees that he's right, she laughs. "Sorry," she apologizes with a smile.

He responds with a smile of his own and as his eyes land on her face, he can't help but notice how beautiful she looks in the morning.

"Coffee?" She mumbles.

"Are you offering or asking?" He teases.

"Shut up," she says, playfully slapping his arm. He lets out a laugh, gets out of bed and walks towards the kitchen to get the coffee started.

And as he walks away, Andy can't stop herself from watching. He's wearing nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt and, well, they're definitely working for him.

Sam spends a minute in the kitchen, turning on the coffee maker, scooping the grinds, adding the water and pulling two mugs from the cabinet. Once he's done, he turns back to face her and almost catches her staring.

"Unless you want pizza for breakfast, we should probably go grab something," he suggests.

She nods. "Okay."

"If I let you take the first shower, are you going to use all the hot water?" He wonders with a knowing smirk.

"Possibly," she admits with a sheepish smile.

"Okay, I'll be quick," he tells her with a laugh, before disappearing into the bathroom.

She blows out a breath before getting out of bed and pouring coffee for the two of them. She immediately downs the cup she made for herself, sits down at the kitchen table and looks around her new home, before realizing that she should probably unpack.

She hangs up a few dresses and shirts in the closet before walking over to the dresser. She decides that she will take the three drawers on the left and leave the three on the right for Sam. As she starts to unpack the rest of her suitcase, she realizes that she definitely did not pack enough clothes and makes a mental note to go shopping while Sam is at work. Just as she finishes throwing the rest of her clothes in her drawers, she hears the water turn off.

"All yours," Sam announces, as he walks out of the bathroom. She looks up to see Sam wearing nothing but a towel as he chest glistens with residual water from his shower. And yeah, it's hard not to stare.

"Uh… thanks," she replies, after realizing that she is definitely gawking at him. She immediately looks away, grabs a towel and walks past him, making her way to the bathroom.

Sam heads over to the kitchen to find a cup of coffee waiting for him, just the way he likes it, and he can't but smile at the sight. He's never lived with anyone before, but he could definitely get used to living with McNally, even if she does hog the covers.

After taking a big sip of coffee, he quickly dries off and changes into jeans and a t-shirt. He notices that Andy unpacked her stuff, so he decides he should do the same. He grabs his boxers and socks from his suitcase, opens the top drawer on the left to throw them in, and freezes when he sees what's inside.

Andy's underwear. And it's really tiny and sexy underwear.

How did he miss that when she was packing at Tracy's?

After slamming the drawer shut, he starts to wonder why she would pack such sexy underwear and for a brief moment, he considers whether she packed it for him. However, he immediately dismisses the thought and tries to rid his mind of the intruding images of Andy wearing the contents of that drawer just for him.

He opens the top drawer on the right, which is thankfully empty, and throws his boxers and socks inside before he continues to unpack his clothes.

About ten minutes later, he finishes unpacking all of his stuff when he finally hears the water turn off in the bathroom. Moments later, Andy appears, followed by a cloud of steam and wearing nothing but a towel.

Sam swallows hard, unable to take his eyes off of her. Luckily, she doesn't seem to notice.

"Did you see that I left the drawers on the right for you?" She asks, when she sees his empty suitcase.

"Yeah, uh, thanks," he responds. She nods and starts opening drawers and taking clothes out. And he can't help but notice the white lacey thong she grabs from the top drawer.

Yeah, living with her may be more difficult than he thought.

===============Pretend===============

Okay, there is chapter one. Let me know if I should continue. I have a lot of ideas of where the story can go, but I'm always open to suggestions as well.

Please review!


	2. Trials in Domesticity

Thanks for all of the reviews! I really appreciate every one of them.

Just so you guys know, this story isn't really going to be about the actual undercover operation. Jamie Brennan and people from the warehouse will guest star, but I won't really be talking much about the actual operation. This is more about Sam and Andy's changing relationship while they pretend to be other people.

Here is chapter two!

===============Pretend===============

It's around 3PM when Andy pulls up to the warehouse and sees Sam leaning against the building, waiting for her. The moment he spots her, a small smile appears on his lips and he quickly makes his way over to the car. He opens the passenger door, slides inside and then leans in for quick kiss. The gesture takes her by surprise, especially considering the fact that there are only a few guys around and they don't seem to be paying attention to them. Still, she lets herself enjoy the moment.

Once they pull away, Sam sits back in his seat and buckles his seatbelt as Andy puts the car in the drive.

"So… how did it go?" She inquires as she briefly glances back at him.

"McNally, do you really have to ask?" He grins, purposefully exposing his dimples.

She playfully rolls her eyes while Sam lets out a chuckle.

"When do you start?" She inquiries.

"Monday," he replies.

"Great, so I guess we have all weekend to rehearse our cover stories," she states.

"More like twenty four hours," he declares.

"What?" She asks as her eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"I met a few of my co-workers while I was waiting for you… they invited us out to the bar tomorrow night… you know, so we can get to know everybody," he informs her. "I guess they get together every Friday night."

"Are you sure they want _me_ to go? It's not just a guy's thing?" She wonders.

"They told me to bring you," he says with a shrug.

"Okay… could be fun," she muses. "And I guess we need to start mingling with everybody," she adds.

"Exactly," Sam concurs.

"So… what do you think Candace would wear?" She asks, thinking out loud. Sam immediately lets out a laugh as he shakes his head in amusement.

Of course that's the first place her mind goes.

===============Pretend===============

That night, they are lying in bed and he can just tell that her mind is racing. She hasn't said anything in over five minutes, so… yeah, he's pretty sure she's freaking out.

"What is it, McNally?" He asks as he turns to face her.

"Hm?" She says, glancing up to meet his eyes.

"You're thinking too much," he points out.

"Oh. I was just running through my cover again… you know, for tomorrow," she explains with a shrug.

"You'll be fine. You know it by heart," he assures her.

"Yeah, I guess," she says with a nod as she nervously bites down on her bottom lip. "Hey, how did we meet?" She inquires a moment later. "People might ask."

"Keep it real. We met at work… we, uh… we worked at a bar together," he suggests. "You were a waitress and I was a bartender and obviously, you were all over me the second we met," he teases.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure that's exactly how it happened," she tells him, sarcastically, as she playfully rolls her eyes.

"That's how I remember it," he quips.

She rolls her eyes again, but ultimately she decides to just let it go. "And how did you propose?" She questions as she starts to twist her ring around her finger.

"Sky writing?" He retorts.

"I'm serious," she declares as she playfully hits him on the arm.

"Hm… well, I guess I probably took you to this nice cabin in the woods since you're such a sucker for nature," he decides.

"Did you get down on one knee?" She asks with a big smile.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that's how you're supposed to do it," he reminds her.

"And what did you say when you asked me?" She probes.

He sighs. "I don't know…. I probably just told you something like… you're the best thing that ever happened to me and I can't imagine my life without you," he suggests as their eyes meet and the space between fills with a bit of tension. "And then I asked you to marry me," he adds.

"Short and sweet. That sounds about right," she agrees.

"Good," he says with a nod.

"And _when_ are we getting married?" She wonders.

"Well, it can't be too soon or people will actually expect us to get married," he reminds her.

"How about… not next spring, but the one after?" she proposes.

"Sounds good. Now… let's go to bed, okay?"

"Yes, sir," she deadpans.

===============Pretend===============

"What about this?" Andy asks as she does a little spin.

This is the third outfit she's shown to Sam in the past ten minutes and while he's pretending to be annoyed, he actually likes the little fashion show she's putting on just for him.

This outfit consists of tight black skinny jeans and an equally tight top in a blueish green color. And she's showing just enough cleavage for him to enjoy, but not too much for everybody else to enjoy.

"Andy, we're just going to the bar, you don't need to overthink this… you can wear whatever you want," he assures her.

"Which one is your favorite?" She asks as she glances at herself in the mirror.

"This one," he decides.

"Are you just saying that so I don't change?" She asks, eyeing him with her hands on her hips.

"No," he tells her, honestly, while her eyes narrow as she tries to decide if she should believe him.

"This one," he repeats. "You look great."

After a little consideration, she ultimately decides that he's telling the truth and throws him a big smile in return. "Thanks," she replies.

"Are we good to go?" He questions as he gets up off the couch. "Cab should be here any minute," he reminds her.

"Yeah, let's go," she says with a nod as she grabs her purse off the bed. Meanwhile, he throws his jacket on and then grabs her coat off the hook to hold it out for her. She thanks him with a smile before slipping her arms inside while simultaneously slipping on a pair of black ballet flats.

"Got the keys?" He inquires.

"Yep," she confirms as she tosses them to him and follows him out the door. He quickly locks the door and then leads her down to the street, so they can wait for the cab.

By the time they get to the sidewalk in front of their apartment, she's already getting antsy.

"Nervous?" He asks with an amused smile.

"No!" She denies.

He skeptically raises an eyebrow and she blows out a breath in response, well aware that she's not fooling him. "Fine, I'm nervous," she admits.

He nods his head and runs his hand down her back, hoping to calm her down. "Andy, you'll do fine, I know you will. I wouldn't have asked you to come with me if I thought you couldn't handle this," he promises. "And I'll be there the whole time," he reminds her.

"I know… thanks," she says as she meets his eyes and smiles, causing him to do the same.

===============Pretend===============

The moment they step into the Alpine Inn, Sam is overcome with a feeling of déjà vu. It's been years since he's stepped foot in the place, but everything looks exactly the same. It has the same peeling wallpaper, the same wobbly bar stools, the same ugly carpet, the same dusty television set in the corner and the same leaky beer tabs lining the bar. Yeah, not much has changed.

"J.D!" Someone shouts, shaking Sam from his reverie. He quickly follows the voice and scans the room until he sees the group of guys from work waving him over. Then, he grabs Andy's hand and leads her across the bar to the large corner booth that everyone is sitting in.

"Hey guys… this is my fiancée, Candace," Sam says to the group.

"Hi," Andy says with a smile and a wave. Over the next minute, she is introduced to Jacob and his girlfriend, Claire; Ryan and his wife, Lena; Gordon and his girlfriend, Trish; and the two single guys of the group, Alex and Jose.

After the introductions, Sam and Andy slide into the booth at which point, Sam wraps his arm around her and pulls her closer. She briefly wonders if sitting this close is actually necessary to sell their cover, but it's not as if she would ever complain.

As the group makes small talk, Alex goes to grab some drinks and returns, moments later, with a pitcher of beer, a pitcher of margaritas and glasses for everyone. And as he pours drinks for everyone, Sam can't help but notice the way that Alex is trying to sneak peeks down Andy's shirt. That fact also doesn't go unnoticed by Andy and neither does the death stare that Sam is throwing at him. She honestly finds the whole thing to be pretty amusing, but because she really doesn't need some stranger looking down her shirt, she pulls it up a bit before taking a big sip of her margarita.

As the night goes on, Andy is surprised to learn that Sam's new co-workers and their girlfriends are actually really nice and a lot of fun. Maybe it's all the margaritas she's consumed, but she can't remember the last time her stomach hurt from laughing so much. Between the stupidly competitive game of darts and the hilarious stories that are being told, she almost feels like she's back at the Penny with her friends. And yeah, it's a pretty nice feeling.

"This is actually really fun," Andy admits to Sam as they stand at the bar, buying another pitcher of drinks for the table.

"I told you that everything would be fine," he reminds her with a smile.

"Yeah, they seem like good people," she continues. She can tell that he's almost as buzzed as she is with the way he's standing so close and gazing at her in that way that makes her heart pound. And even though no one has been watching them for the past couple minutes, he's still touching her way more than what's necessary. Ever since he ordered the drinks, he's had his hands on her in some way. Either he's absent-mindedly playing with the belt loops on her jeans, running his fingers through her hair or just resting his hands on her waist. And yeah, it's really difficult for her not to enjoy it.

Moments later, the bartender slams the two pitchers down on the table, causing them both to jump out of their haze. Sam hands her some cash and tells her to keep the change before following Andy back to the table. They sit back down with their new friends, who thank them for the drinks, and Sam puts his arm around Andy, where it has been the entire night.

For the next two hours, they continue drinking and swapping funny stories before the crowd at the bar starts to thin out and everyone decides to head home.

"It was so nice meeting you two," Lena tells them with a warm smile. "We usually get together every Friday night… sometimes we come here, sometimes everybody comes to our place… we have a hot tub! Anyway, you guys are more than welcome to join," she says, enthusiastically.

"Thanks! We'd love to," Andy responds.

"Great! Well, have a good night," she says with a wave before heading out of the bar. "And good luck on Monday, J.D!" She adds.

"Thanks," he replies.

It's just a couple minutes later that Sam and Andy are waiting outside for their cab and yeah, it's freezing. So, without thinking, Andy sneaks her hands inside Sam's jacket and hugs him to keep warm. It takes him off guard for a second, but he happily wraps his arms around her and pulls her against his chest.

"Cold?" He asks with a smile.

"Mhm," she says, nodding slightly.

The two of them stand like that, just holding on to each other, for the full three minutes it takes for their cab to show up. Eventually, the cab pulls up beside them and they hop in the back seat together. As the driver pulls out into traffic, Andy rests her head on Sam's shoulder, causing him to put his arm around her once again. She shifts around, trying to get more comfortable, and eventually ends up with her head resting in the crook of his neck. Sam tightens his grip around her and pulls her a bit closer while she closes her eyes for the remainder of the ride.

As they drive home, Sam briefly considers if this is what it would be like if she was his for real and not just for pretend. If they were actually together, they'd probably have lots of nights like the one they just had- drinking at the Penny with their friends, his arm wrapped around her as they sat in one of the booths, his fingers in her hair as they waited for drinks at the bar, Andy huddled up in his coat as they waited for a cab because they both had too much to drink.

He's never really been one for PDA, but he feels like she could probably change his mind about that. In fact, he's pretty sure she already has.

Before he knows it, they are pulling over in front of their apartment and the cabby is parking the car.

"Candace," he softly whispers into her ear.

"Hm?" She says as she lifts her head and blinks her eyes a few times. Yeah, she definitely fell asleep for a bit there.

"We're home," he replies, still whispering.

"Okay," she responds as she lets out a yawn.

Sam pulls out his wallet and pays the cabby before helping Andy out of the backseat and leading her upstairs with his arm wrapped around her the entire time.

"I'm exhausted," Andy declares, as they walk through their front door.

"Mm… me too," Sam agrees.

Without another word, Andy heads over to their dresser, pulls out her pajamas and walks into the bathroom. Minutes later, after she changes her clothes, washes her face and brushes her teeth, she walks out of the bathroom to find Sam wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt that is exposing all of his muscles in the best possible way.

"All yours," she tells him as she tosses her clothes in the hamper.

"Thanks," he replies as he walks past her and into the bathroom. She hears him brushing her teeth as she slips under the covers and lets her head hit the pillow.

Before she knows it, Sam is turning off all the lights and getting into bed with her. She's sleeping on her side and facing away from him and he gets into bed facing in the same direction. Despite the fact that there is plenty of space, he is lying closer to her than he needs to.

After a minute or so, he feels her pulling his arm across her body, so it's wrapped around her waist. He's surprised, but he doesn't even consider fighting it. Wordlessly, he interlocks their fingers and slides closer to her so they are essentially spooning.

And in a matter of minutes, they are both asleep.

===============Pretend===============

The next morning, Sam wakes up with his arm still tightly wrapped around Andy's waist. A smile instantly crosses his lips at that realization, but after allowing himself to enjoy it for just a moment longer, he slowly removes his arm before she wakes up. He's just not sure how she'll feel about the two of them spooning all night now that she's sober.

After a minute or two, he quietly slides out of bed, heads to the kitchen to turn on the coffeemaker and then goes to take a shower. Making sure to save plenty of hot water for Andy, he only stays in there for a few minutes before toweling off and walking out of the bathroom to find Andy standing in the kitchen, drinking her coffee.

"Hey," she says with a smile as he walks into the room and, not for the first time, he can't help but think how beautiful she looks in the morning. The sleepy eyes, the lazy smile, the bedhead… yeah, he wouldn't mind waking up to it every morning.

"Hey," he replies with a smile of his own as he stands beside her and picks up the mug of coffee she's prepared for him. "Thanks," he tells her before taking a sip.

"What time do we have to meet Boyd?" She wonders.

"One," he informs her.

"Okay," she says with a nod. "So, any ideas for breakfast?" She inquires, a beat later.

"You cooking?" He asks with raised eyebrows and surprise in his voice.

"No, you are," she grins.

He rolls his eyes and shakes his head a bit, but the smile on his face is giving him away. "I'll whip something up while you're in the shower," he eventually agrees.

Her smile widens and it's obvious that she's pretty pleased with herself. "Sounds perfect," she replies before taking one last sip of her coffee and then happily skipping over to the bathroom. Once the bathroom door closes and the shower turns on, Sam quickly turns his attention to getting dressed and making breakfast.

It's about twenty minutes later that Andy is showered, dressed and eating breakfast at the table with Sam.

"This is delicious," she exclaims with her mouth full.

"Glad you like it," he replies with a smile.

"Where'd you learn to cook like this?" She asks.

"I don't know… Sarah and I had to cook for ourselves a lot… our dad was in and out of jail most of our lives and… when he was in, our mom was always working so we basically had to take care of ourselves," he says with a shrug. "Sarah always liked to cook and when I was little, I would help her with everything. So, after she got attacked, when she wasn't really into cooking anymore, I ended up taking care of everything," he explains. "I would try to make all of her favorite foods and I'd try all of these new recipes… it was a lot of trial and error but I eventually figured it out," he continues. And the way he says it is so casual, but she knows it's much more than that.

"Yes you definitely did," she confirms with a smile. Knowing he's not typically one to share, she purposefully tries to downplay his admission by keeping it light. And when we smiles at her in return, she knows it was the right move. "But I hope you know that this means you're cooking _all_ of our meals from now on," she informs him with a grin.

He playfully rolls his eyes as a smile appears on his lips. "Okay, if I have to cook than you have to… do the laundry," he tells her after careful consideration.

"Deal," she agrees before shoveling some more food in her mouth. "So uh… you never told me your dad was in jail," she says a minute or so later, hoping she's not overstepping.

"Still is," he shrugs.

"What for?" She asks.

"He got six months for armed robbery when I was seventeen… a few months into his sentence, he got into a fight and killed a guy. Got twenty years," he explains.

"Wow… do you ever visit him?" She wonders.

"No," he says, shaking his head. "Haven't seen him since I turned eighteen and my mom told me I could decide for myself if I wanted to visit him… I didn't," he tells her.

Andy nods. "Am I asking too many questions?" She wonders. "You don't have to talk to me about this if you don't want to," she adds.

He shrugs before taking a second to finish chewing his food. "We're friends, aren't we?" He asks.

"Yeah," she responds with a nod.

"Well, I'm pretty sure friends know these kinds of things about each other," he reminds her.

She's basically stunned by his words, but she tries not to let it show. Instead she simply smiles and nods. "Yeah, they do."

"So, anymore questions?" He inquires

She shakes her head. He's told her enough for one day.

===============Pretend===============

On Sam's first day of work, she decides to wake up early to make him some coffee and pack him a lunch. She got the idea after overhearing the guys discuss how inedible the food is at the warehouse cafeteria. She figures that's the kind of thing a woman would do for her fiancé. Plus she really doesn't need to listen to Sam puking all night.

She does her best to be really quiet, but just as she's about halfway through making his turkey sandwich, she finds him peering over the kitchen counter with tired eyes and bedhead.

"What are you doing?" He asks, suspiciously.

"Making your lunch," she tells him, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"How… domestic," he says with a smile. "What am I having?" He wonders with a bit of concern.

"I _do_ know how to make a sandwich, you know," she tells him with mock offense.

He lets out a laugh and puts his hands up in defense. "I'm sure you do."

"It's a turkey BLT," she informs him. "And it's _delicious_ ," she adds with a bit of silly glare. "Plus I even packed a pickle, sweet potato chips and some chocolate chip cookies," she tells him, obviously very pleased with herself.

"Wow, I'm impressed," he admits.

"You should be," she retorts. "Now go jump in the shower. We have to leave in forty five minutes."

"Okay, boss."

===============Pretend===============

"Hey, it's me," he says the moment she answers the phone.

"I'm shocked," She deadpans.

She can practically ear the roll of his eyes through the phone, but ultimately, he ignores the comment. "Just wanted to tell you that you don't need to pick me up from work. I'm going out for drinks with my boss," he informs her.

"Oh… okay… be safe," she replies.

"Will do, love you babe," he tells her, as if it's the most normal thing in the world. And yeah, hearing the words surprises her, but she knows that there must be other people around and that Sam's just keeping up his cover.

"Love you, too, _babe_ ," she says, teasingly. "Have fun and call me if you need a ride home from the bar," she offers.

"Thanks, see you tonight," he replies before the two of them hang up.

======Pretend=======

Once again, he is at the Alpine Inn.

Except this time is significantly less fun than the last time. Instead of watching his co-workers throw darts while Andy sits on his lap, he's sitting at the bar with his boss, nursing some beers and talking about the job and his time in prison. It's almost ten o'clock so they've been there for quite a while and except for the two hours they spent playing pool, they've mostly just been talking.

"Looks like you have a fan," Jamie points out, gesturing across the room. Sam glances over and sees a skinny blonde woman in a skimpy outfit staring at him. And the moment Sam looks over, she blushes and smiles at him. She's definitely attractive, but she is nothing compared to the doe-eyed brunette who is waiting for him at home.

"You should go talk to her," Jamie advises.

"Actually, I'm engaged," Sam responds before taking a sip of his beer.

"Oh yeah? I wouldn't have pegged you for the settling down type," Jamie states before taking a sip of his own beer.

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't… not until her," Sam declares with a shrug.

"Yeah, I get that," Jamie nods as if he completely understands. "What's she like?" He inquires.

"Candace? She's… she's something else… Most of the time, she drives me absolutely crazy, but… kind of in the best way," he says with a smile. The comment surprises him, but the five beers he's consumed might be having an effect on him. "She has this energy about her… I don't know, it's like she's always _so_ positive about everything. She didn't have the easiest childhood, yet she's still so happy and optimistic and she always sees the best in people… even me. And she's beautiful… but not in that obvious way, you know? It's like she doesn't even realize how gorgeous she is…" Sam babbles on. When he sees Jamie's expression, he thinks he may have said too much. "Plus, when the sex _that_ good, it makes it much easier to settle down," Sam adds, hoping that his last comments seems more in line with something J.D. would say.

Jamie nods. "I know what you mean… I felt the same way about my wife… I never thought I'd get married, but then I met her and it was all over," Jamie confesses, causing Sam to relax a bit.

"Yeah, I guess it's the same way with me and Candace," he concedes.

"Well hold on to that. It doesn't come around every day," Jamie instructs him.

"That's the plan," Sam agrees.

"To Candace," Jamie says, lifting his beer.

Sam clicks his own beer bottle against his. "To Candace," he repeats.

======Pretend=======

"Candace?" Sam calls out when he opens the door. "Come here, I want to introduce you to my boss," he says, closing the door after Jamie walks in.

"Hi baby," Andy says, walking out of the bathroom, wearing flannel pajama pants and a tank top. And Sam can't help but notice that she isn't wearing a bra. Andy leans in and gives Sam a quick peck on the lips and then turns to Jamie.

"I'm Candace," she says, holding out her hand in front of him.

"Jamie," he tells her, shaking her hand.

She turns to Sam. "You should've warned me you were bringing company, I wouldn't have changed into my pajamas," she conveys, flashing a smile at Jamie.

"Sorry," he shrugs, his lips still tingling from that kiss.

"Please, you don't need to dress up for me," he smiles. "J.D., she's even prettier than you said," Jamie admits, turning to Sam.

Andy glances at Sam with a smile and raised eyebrows and she swears that Sam Swarek is blushing.

"Really? What else did he tell you?" She asks Jamie, with a devilish smile playing on her lips.

"Just how lucky I am," Sam interjects, before Jamie has a chance to answer.

Andy smiles. "Yes, you are," she agrees before leaning in for another kiss. Sam grabs the back of her neck and holds her there for a moment before letting her go. The gesture takes her off guard, but she plays it off as if it is completely normal.

"Jamie, can I get you something to drink?" Andy asks him, as she leads the men further into the apartment.

"No, I don't want to intrude. I was just giving JD a ride home and thought I'd come up and meet the famous Candace," he says with a smile.

"Well, it was great meeting you, and thanks for bringing my man home in one piece," she thanks him with a smile.

"You too," he tells her. "JD, I'll see you tomorrow," he tells him before heading back towards the front door.

"Goodnight, boss," JD says as he watches Jamie leave. Once the door shuts behind him, he turns to Andy.

"You couldn't have given me a heads up? Look at what I'm wearing!" She cries, gesturing at her outfit.

"I think you look great," he informs her, looking her up and down.

"I'm not wearing a bra!" She shouts.

"I noticed," he tells her with a smirk, as his eyes not-so-subtly fall to her chest.

She rolls her eyes at him while shaking her head. And then she turns to walk away from him, so he can't see the smile she can no longer hold in.

======Pretend=======

That's chapter two! Please review and let me know what you think!


	3. Blurred Lines

Sorry for the long wait everyone! I was having a bit of writer's block with this story. I actually have a lot of future scenes written for this story, but I couldn't figure out the in between chapters.

Anyway, I'm still not that happy with it, but I hope you like it.

And seriously, I would love some suggestions for this story! I REALLY need them!

===========Pretend===========

On Saturday morning, she wakes up to the smell of coffee lingering in the air. And the moment she opens her eyes, she sees Sam walking over to her with two cups of coffee in his hand.

"This must be why I'm marrying you," she tells him as she reaches for the coffee she knows is made exactly the way she likes it. She sits up in their bed and takes a big sip, closing her eyes as the warm coffee slides down her throat.

"Among other things," he quips. He sits beside her and his knee touches her thigh, but neither one of them move away. She smiles at his comment and takes another sip.

"Thank you," she says with a smile.

"You're welcome."

A comfortable silence falls over them as Sam watches Andy enjoy her morning coffee. "We should get a Christmas tree," she states, after a minute or so.

"What? Where would we put it?" He asks, looking around their studio apartment.

"We could get a small one," she offers. "C'mon Sam, we _need_ a Christmas tree," she begs.

He rolls his eyes but he already knows he'll give in. He can never say no to her.

"We don't have any decorations," he points out.

"We can get some," she says with a shrug.

"Fine," he agrees. "A little one," he adds. A grin immediately flashes across her face as she claps her hands in response.

"Okay, let me take a shower and we can go," she says as she jumps out of bed.

"Now? We're getting one now?" He asks, incredulously.

"Yes, now," she says as she skips to the bathroom causing him to chuckle as he watches her.

======Pretend=======

Three hours later, they are back at home. They've set up the tree in the corner of their apartment and Sam is stringing the lights while Andy unwraps all of the ornaments she bought.

"I think you went a little overboard," Sam says with a laugh. "There isn't enough tree for all of those ornaments."

"I know, I just love Christmas," she tells him with a smile as she continues to unwrap the ornaments. "My Dad and I would always spend Christmas Eve in our pajamas, drinking hot chocolate and watching _It's a Wonderful Life_ and _Miracle on 34_ _th_ _Street_. Then we'd wake up on Christmas morning and open presents. He'd make his famous egg nog French toast and in the afternoon, we'd go to his sister's house and she'd cook this amazing meal. I'd get to see my whole family and it was just… nice, you know? It was one of the only days he would actually keep his promise to me and not get blackout drunk," she tells him. She notices that Sam's done stringing the lights around the tree so she starts hanging up the ornaments one by one.

"What about you? What did your family do on Christmas?" She asks.

"Christmas at my house was… not great," he admits as he grabs some ornaments from the table and begins to hang them. "When my Dad was in jail, my Mom was always exhausted from working two jobs and she would always volunteer to work the Christmas shift so she could get time and a half. She could never really afford to get us anything, so she would always feel so guilty. Sarah and I would try to cheer her up and make her this nice dinner, but I don't know… I think that just made her feel worse… And then when my Dad was out of jail, he would start drinking at breakfast and by two, he'd be belligerent. The cops would be at the house by four. They'd take my Dad in and the night would always end with my Mom crying in her room…"

"Wow… Sam…that's awful… tou really don't have any good Christmas memories?" She inquires.

"It's not really a big deal. It's just another day," He shrugs.

"Well this year, you are having an _amazing_ Christmas," she informs him. "Whether you like it or not," she adds with a teasing smile.

He looks up at her with a smirk. "Okay, McNally," he says, humoring her.

In reality, he's sure she's right.

======Pretend=======

Three days later, Sam and Andy walk through the door after she picks him up from work. When he steps through the threshold, he is stunned.

"What the- what did you do?" He asks, scanning their apartment, which is now covered in white Christmas lights. Two stockings hang on the mantle- one that says JD and one that says Candace, and there is a beautiful Christmas wreath hanging on the back of the door.

"You like it?" She asks.

"McNally, I think you have a little too much time on your hands," he teases.

"Shut up," she quips with a laugh.

"What are those?" He asks when he sees the presents sitting under the tree.

"Waffles," she deadpans. When she sees the rolls of his eyes, she chuckles. "They're presents," she says happily. "I told you that you were getting an amazing Christmas this year, didn't I?" She says with a smile.

"You… you got me a present?" He asks, a bit surprised.

"Of course," she responds, as if it was a given.

"You didn't need to get me anything, Andy," he tells her.

"I know," she says with a shrug. "But don't worry, I don't expect you to get me anything. I just… like you said, I have too much time on my hands… it's not a big deal… and only one of them is for you, the others are for _us_ … the tree would look stupid with only one present under it so I got a couple things for both of us," she says, starting to babble on.

He smiles and holds up his finger before walking towards their closet. She watches him search through the pockets in the suitcase she thought was empty. Eventually he returns with a medium-sized box wrapped in gold wrapping paper and slides it under the tree.

"What is that?" She asks, pointing to the box he just put under the tree.

"A waffle," he quips. Now it's her turn to roll her eyes. "It's a present," he shrugs.

"For who?" She asks, with narrow eyes.

"You."

"You got me a Christmas present?" She asks, in complete shock. Her stomach does a flip at the thought.

"Yes."

"When did you do that?" She wonders.

"The other day when you were hanging out with the girls," he informs her.

"Oh," she replies with a slight nod. "So... what is it?" She asks, with a playful smile.

"You've got to wait 'til Christmas, McNally," he reminds her. A frown immediately appears on her lips and he can't help but chuckle in response.

"Gimme a hint," she begs.

"Nope," he tells her sternly.

Now, she's completely pouting and he staring her down, determined not to give in, no matter how absolutely adorable she looks right now.

They spend the next minute in a staring contest with each other, but eventually, she gives up, which is lucky for Sam because he was probably seconds away from giving in himself. He serious cannot say no to her. "Fine," she growls, pretending to be angry; however, it doesn't last very long. By the time she returns from grabbing a drink from the fridge, she's apparently over the whole thing. "So, do you like the decorations?" She asks again.

"They look great," he tells her, causing her to smile.

======Pretend=======

"What should I wear?" Andy calls out to Sam from their closet.

"Just wear a dress," he suggests with a shrug.

"Okay," she agrees. "What about this?" She asks as she appears from their closet minutes later wearing a little black dress that accentuates every curve and reveals just enough cleavage to be ridiculously distracting.

Sam swallows hard after looking her up and down. Andy smiles, noticing his reaction. "How do I look?" She asks, doing a little spin.

"You uh… you look great," he tells her, while silently wondering how the hell she expects him to do his job when she is dressed like that.

Andy's smile widens at his words. "You don't look so bad yourself," she compliments as her bright eyes trace his body, causing a smile plays on his lips.

"Ready?" He wonders, seconds later.

"Yep," she confirms with a nod.

"Let's go," he replies, gesturing towards the door. Tonight is the company's annual Christmas party and as much as Sam hates that sort of thing, he knows that they need to go and mingle with his co-workers.

On the bright side, at least he gets to look at Andy in that dress all night.

======Pretend=======

Sam and Andy are sitting at their table and Sam has been nervously tapping his fingers on the tablecloth for over a minute. Andy instinctively puts a hand on his leg, in an effort to ease whatever anxiety he's feeling. They are both equally surprised by her actions, but instead of pulling back, she gently squeezes his thigh.

"You okay?" She whispers. She has no idea why he is so nervous and it's making her nervous.

He meets her gaze, still feeling the heat from where her hand is touching him. "You wanna dance?" He asks, ignoring her question.

She removes her hand in surprise. "Dance? Really? … You dance?" She asks with wide eyes.

"C'mon," he says with a smile, grabbing her hand and leading her to the dance floor.

"Uh… okay…" she says, following him with an amused expression. When they get to the center of the dance floor, he puts one hand on her waist and the other on her shoulder. And then, to her surprise, they actually start dancing. She is half convinced that this is not really happening, but even still, she is enjoying it.

"I can't believe you dance… and you're not half bad," she muses.

"Please, I'm better at this than you," he teases, pulling her a little closer.

She chuckles in response and for the next few minutes, they continue to dance in silence.

"This is nice," she says, simply.

"Yeah," he agrees, as they continue to inch closer. When this dance started there was maybe a foot between them, but now the space between them has slowly begun to disappear.

When the song ends, Sam slides his hand around the back of Andy's neck and pulls her in close for a kiss. When he pulls away, she is searching his eyes for his thoughts. Somewhere the lines between J.D. and Candace and Sam and Andy are getting blurred and now she has no idea if this is real or if it's just for show. However, his eyes don't provide the answers she is looking for.

He offers her a smile and leads her off the dance floor and back to their table.

"You guys are _so_ adorable," Claire tells Andy as they sit down with their friends. "How come you don't do stuff like that?" She asks Jacob while playfully elbowing him in the ribs.

"What the hell, man! You're making me look bad," Jacob teases Sam.

Sam laughs it off and squeezes Andy's hand. When she looks up at him, he smiles at her before taking a large sip of his whiskey. She returns his smile and downs her third glass of champagne.

"JD, Candace," Jamie says as he walks up to their table.

"Hi Boss," Sam says, standing up to shake his hand.

"Enjoying the party?" He asks, directing the question at Andy.

"Yes. It's great," she tells him with a genuine smile.

"It was my wife's idea. She loved Christmas," he informs her. "Insisted we do this every year."

"Well, it's really nice that you're keeping the tradition going in her memory," Andy smiles.

"Yeah, it's what she would want," he explains. Andy nods and a brief silence immediately falls over them.

"JD tells me you're looking for a job," Jamie says, as he finally takes a seat next to Andy.

"Yeah, I haven't had much luck, but fingers crossed!" She replies, actually crossing her fingers and waving them in the air.

"Well, I don't know if you'd be interested, but I'm looking for a new secretary… assistant… whatever they are called nowadays," he offers.

"Really? That would be amazing! Thank you!" Andy says, enthusiastically.

"Yeah, thanks, Boss," Sam agrees.

"I'm going to visit my brother until the 5th, so how about you start that Monday?" He suggests.

"Yes, that's perfect. Thank you so much. I won't let you down," she promises.

"I know," he assures her with a nod and a smile. "Well, enjoy the rest of the party," he says before getting up and leaving the table.

Sam can see how pleased Andy is with herself and of course, he's happy that everything seems to be moving along with the operation, but he can't say he loves that fact that she'll be spending so much time alone with someone who has tortured and killed as many people as Jamie Brennan has. Sam tries to ease his anxiety by telling himself that she won't actually be alone with him. There will be plenty of other people around and he'll be just across the warehouse. She'll be fine. He takes a large sip of his drink, hoping to calm himself. It doesn't work, so he takes another sip and finishes the whole glass.

"I'm going to get another one," he says, standing up. "You want anything?" He asks.

"I'll come with," she says with a smile. He nods and instinctively grabs her hand as they walk towards the bar.

"You okay?" She asks, as they are leaning against the bar, waiting for their drinks. She can tell something is up with him.

"Yeah," he nods. She narrows her eyes, obviously not taking his word for it.

He sighs, knowing she sees right through him. "Just promise me you'll be careful," he says, softly so no one can overhear them.

"I will. I'll be fine. And you'll be right there," she reminds him.

"I know. You're right."

"Yes, I am," she agrees as she takes his face in her hands and kisses him, before she even realizes what she is doing. He immediately grabs her waist and pulls her in closer, deepening the kiss.

"Get a room, you two!" Lena jokes as she walks back. They both pull away, blushing, as the lines between their real lives and fake lives get even blurrier.

======Pretend=======

"I'm exhausted," Andy exclaims as she throws her purse on their kitchen table. Sam is right behind her, still admiring her in that little black dress.

"Too much champagne?" He asks with a smile.

"I only had a few!" She informs him, playfully hitting him in the arm.

"Mhm," he teases as he takes a couple steps further into the apartment, about to get ready for bed.

"You know, you had quite a few glasses of whiskey, yourself mister!" She retorts.

"Yeah, I had more than a couple," he jokes as he watches her fumble around with the zipper on the back of her dress.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" He says with a smile.

"Can you help me?" She asks.

He moves across the room and swiftly unzips the back of her dress, exposing a lot of skin. Before he can stop himself, his fingers are grazing down her back. The goosebumps that suddenly appear on her skin make him smile, but then he steps away from her in an attempt to put some space between them.

"McNally, I think we might need to break out that pillow wall tonight," he tells her.

"What?" She asks, confused. She turns to look at him, holding up her dress with her arms.

"I don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands to myself," he explains, the seriousness of his statement radiating from his eyes. The admission shocks her, and she's thinking that he definitely had more than a few drinks tonight. Even so, she can't stop the smile from creeping on her lips.

"Who says you have to keep your hands to yourself?" She asks, with a flirty grin.

He raises an eyebrow in surprise. "We _are_ engaged after all," she quips, wiggling the fingers on her left hand.

"Don't tease me, McNally," he tells her, shaking his head, a smile playing on his lips. She lets out a laugh as she walks to the bathroom to change into her pajamas. When she closes the bathroom door he lets out a big sigh and runs his hand through his hair.

He's in big trouble.

======Pretend=======

"What do you want to do tonight?" Andy asks, collapsing on the couch next to Sam, the very next night.

"It's Christmas Eve," he states. She looks at him, waiting for him to finish the thought. He sees her confused expression and grabs the remote. "Aren't we going to watch It's a Wonderful Life?" He asks.

A grin spreads across her face. "Really?"

"Yeah, c'mon, go put on your pajamas and I'll make the hot chocolate," he offers.

"Okay!" She says, leaping off the couch and running over to their dresser. He laughs as he gets up and starts to heat up the milk for their hot chocolate. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see her taking off her shirt and he's surprised that she isn't changing in the bathroom like she usually does. She is facing away from him, but he watches as she pulls a t-shirt over her head. As she turns around, he focuses his attention back to the hot chocolate while Andy takes off her jeans and puts on some very tiny grey shorts. She walks over to the kitchen and leans against the counter, watching him.

"Aren't you cold?" He asks, gesturing at what she's wearing.

"I'm sure you'll keep me warm," she quips. He shakes his head as he lets out a chuckle.

"Watch this while I change," he asks as he walks over to their bedroom. She stirs the milk as it heats on the stove, while she watches Sam change out of the corner of her eye. A few minutes later he returns wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants.

"I think it's ready," he tells her. She nods and pours the hot chocolate mix into the warm milk. She stirs it and then pours it into two mugs. Sam tops them off with some Kahlua and carries both mugs to the couch with Andy closely behind. He places the mugs on the coffee table and turns on the television while Andy grabs a blanket from their bed. After he sits down, she plops down right next to him and throws a blanket over the two of them. He places his arm on the back of the couch and she scoots closer to him, much closer than he was expecting.

"Ready?" He asks, trying not to expose his surprise at her proximity.

She nods in response. "Thanks for doing this," she tells him. He looks over to her and meets her gaze. "You're welcome."

======Pretend=======

Hope everyone liked that!

If anyone has any ideas regarding the presents that Andy and Sam give each other, I would LOVE some suggestions. I have an idea or two, but I'd like to find something better. If anyone has a good idea, please let me know and of course I'll give you credit if I end up using it.

Also, other general suggestions are more than welcome as well! I'm having a bit of trouble getting this story where it needs to go and I don't want to abandon it, so please help!

Don't forget to review! And please check out my other stories if you haven't already! Thanks!


	4. Merry Christmas

To everybody who suggested gift ideas, thanks so much! In the end, I just decided to go with my original idea.

Some people suggested cop related gifts, but because they are undercover, I didn't think that would be the best idea. Others suggested jewelry, but I don't think Sam would put himself in that kind of vulnerable position by giving her jewelry since that is something you would get your girlfriend and not someone you are claiming to only be a friend, you know?

Ultimately, I decided to do something very thoughtful, but it could still technically pass as a gift you would give a friend. I hope everyone likes it and feels it is believable!

Also, I wish someone would have suggested a gift for Andy to give Sam because I had a hard time with that one!

==========Pretend=========

"I can't sleep," she declares. She's been lying here for the past twenty minutes and she's nowhere near being able to fall asleep. She knows she should just be quiet and let him get some rest, but she just can't. She's so bored. She needs to talk to somebody. And it's not like he has work tomorrow.

He rolls over to face her and props himself up on an elbow. "What's up, McNally?" He asks with a yawn.

"I can't sleep," she repeats with a pout.

"I heard. Why not? Too excited for Santa?" He teases as he pinches her hip, making her squeal a bit.

"I don't know. I'm _bored_ ," she whines, completely ignoring his quip. "Talk to me," she pleads.

He sighs. "What do you want to talk about?" He asks.

"What do you think everybody's doing at home?" She wonders.

"Probably getting drunk at the Penny," he replies.

"Yeah… I miss them," she professes.

"I know. That's normal," he assures her.

"Who knows the next time we'll see them," she continues. "This op could last sixth months, eight months, maybe a year, maybe more…"

"It could," he agrees.

"I guess I just didn't really think about the fact that I might not see my Dad or Traci or Chris or Dov for that long," she explains. "I even miss Gail," she admits.

"Are you… are you having regrets? About coming?" He inquires.

"No, I'm glad I came," she quickly replies. "As much as I miss everyone… I really did need to get away and… if I wasn't here, I would've been really worried about you and I… I would've missed you," she confesses.

"Oh yeah?" He asks with a quirked eyebrow as he briefly wonders how true that is. Would she really have missed him? Maybe at first, but there's no way she'd miss him as much as he'd miss her.

"Yeah," she affirms. "You saying you wouldn't have missed me?" She asks with a tone that says she already knows the answer.

He laughs. "No, I'm not saying that," he smiles.

She grins and silence quickly falls over the apartment. They stay like that for a few moments before she opens her mouth to speak again. "I'm just worried about my Dad, you know? This is the first Christmas we've spent apart and I'm just feeling guilty for leaving, you know? I'm scared he's going to start drinking again and I won't be there… do you ever worry about leaving Sarah?" She probes.

"Yes," he responds. "But Sarah and I aren't actually that close anymore," he admits reluctantly. "Even if something did happen, she probably wouldn't tell me about it or ask for my help," he continues.

"Oh… from what you've told me about her, I just assumed you were close," she explains.

"We were when we were younger, but now she's just… she's really hard to connect with. I tried for such a long time, but I guess, eventually, I just… gave up," he confesses, unable to look her in the eyes. "I know that's horrible," he admits.

"No, it's not," she assures him. "Sometimes there's only so much you can do," she offers. "You can't force someone to be a part of your life, you know? All you can do is be there if she finally decides to let you in."

"Yeah, I guess," he says with a nod. Silence falls over them again and it's making Sam nervous. "Can we talk about something else?" He asks.

"Sure," she agrees. She thinks for a moment before she finally decides what she'd like to talk about. "Do you think you'll ever get married?" She wonders.

He's taken back by the question. It's definitely not what he was expecting and he can't help but wonder why she's even asking.

"I don't know… I've never thought about it," he replies with a shrug.

"Well, think about it now," she tells him. "Do you think you'll get married someday? Do you _want_ to get married someday?" She asks.

He thinks for a moment before finally answering her question. "Uh… I guess if I meet the right woman and I can convince her to marry me, then sure," he says. She's surprised by his honesty. Shocked, actually. She was expecting some deflection laced with humor, definitely not actual honesty.

"I'm sure it wouldn't take much convincing," she assures him. And she truly believes it. Even though he tries to hide it sometimes, she knows what a guy great Sam is.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I mean, when you're not being a grump," she teases. "You're actually pretty great… Under all of that badass Sam Swarek bravado, you're a really great guy," she informs him.

"Well, don't let it get around," he teases, uncomfortable with the praise she's giving him. She laughs and continues to absent-mindedly play with her ring.

"What about you? You still want to get married some day?" He inquires.

"Yeah, I think so… I just gotta make sure I listen to my gut this time," she explains.

"What do you mean?"

"I was having a lot of doubts about Luke and I… I just ignored them," she admits.

"Really? You were having doubts?" He asks. It never seemed like she was having doubts…

"Yeah… I don't think I was actually _that_ happy… not happy enough to get married, anyway… and I feel like I was just trying too hard, you know? I mean, obviously relationships are hard work, but I think I was trying to force it… I just thought he was this good, stable guy who would never hurt me. I thought he was safe," she explains. "I just need to trust my gut next time, you know? Like you're always telling me."

"Yeah," he nods, still trying to digest everything she's just said.

She taps her fingers against the mattress for a moment before she's come up with another question to ask. "So, have you ever lived with a woman before? I mean… besides your family," she wonders.

"Nope," he shakes his head.

"Well, I guess you're lucky that your original partner backed out… You would've had to live with a total stranger! And instead, you get to live with me," she says with a smug smile.

He lets out a laugh. "Yeah, pretty lucky," he agrees. And even though his tone is teasing, he knows it's the God's honest truth. Living with Andy is actually pretty… nice.

"It's actually going a lot better than I would've thought… I thought it'd be weird for a while, but it really hasn't been," she tells him.

"Why would it be weird?" He questions.

"I don't know… When I moved in with Luke, it was weird for a couple months. You're getting used to being in each other's space, learning each other's habits, never having any time away… It's a lot to get used to," she explains.

"I guess," he shrugs.

"I guess it's because we already spend so much time together, anyway… and we both moved in here together, you know? Instead of one of us intruding in on the other person's space." she suggests.

"Yeah."

"With Luke, I always felt like I was in the way," she admits. "As much as it sucked when he cheated on me, everything really did work out for the best… I mean, my ego is a bit bruised, but it stopped me from making a big mistake," she decides.

Sam nods. "McNally, you know that him cheating on you… it has way more to do with him than you, right? You shouldn't give it a second thought, okay? Callahan is just an idiot who threw away a really great thing... You are amazing and there are tons of guys who would kill to be with you so don't let his stupid mistake have _any_ effect on your ego," he tells her. And she can tell by his tone and the look in his eyes that he means every word and it honestly makes her heart swell a bit.

"Thanks Sam," she says with a smile. His mirrors her expression and they just sit like that for a moment before she speaks up again. "Have you ever cheated?" She asks.

"No," he replies with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, I figured," she tells him, earning herself another smile. "Ever been cheated on?"

"Once… when I was in high school," he explains. "I had been seeing this girl for… I don't know, maybe five months? And I found out that she had been hooking up with this other kid in our grade. It sucked," he admits.

"Yeah," she nods. "You know my mom cheated on my dad?"

"Oh?"

"Yeah… She was having an affair for months, maybe longer, and then she found out she was pregnant with the guy's baby, so she left," Andy explains.

"Wow," Sam comments.

"Yeah… haven't seen her in fifteen years," Andy mentions. "I have siblings out there somewhere… sometimes, I wonder what they're like… or if they even know about me… I always wanted a brother or sister growing up," she tells him.

He nods along, waiting for her to continue.

"So yeah, when my Dad found out about Luke… let's just say he was not too pleased. I was afraid he was going to show up on his doorstep and knock him out," she says with a smirk.

"Yeah, can't say I didn't think about it myself," Sam comments.

"What stopped you?" She wonders aloud.

"Figured you wouldn't be too happy with me," he replies.

She nods. "Yeah, I really don't need another thing for people to gossip about at work," she agrees.

"So uh… how are you doing with all of that?" he asks.

"What?"

"Callahan," he replies. "Gotten to acceptance yet?" He asks.

"Yeah… was there a while ago," she responds.

"Oh… well, that's good," he offers.

"Yeah," she nods.

"Well, uh, we should probably get to bed," he suggests.

"Yeah, we should…"

=======Pretend=======

The next morning, after Andy makes a batch of eggnog French toast, they are sitting by the Christmas tree opening presents.

He hands her the gift and watches nervously while she tears the wrapping paper off. When she finally gets it open, she pears inside the box and looks confused.

"What is this?" She asks.

"Just some stuff for when you're missing home," he says with a shrug. She smiles and starts to pull the items out one by one.

"Coffee beans from Brewers?" She asks with a smile as she takes the bag in her hand.

"Yep. Your favorite," he says with a proud smile.

"Their coffee is the _best_ ," she declares. "I've seriously been going through withdrawal."

"Well, not anymore," he smiles. She returns the gesture and moves along to the next item.

"Oh I love these!" She exclaims as she lifts a plastic container housing four candles in her absolute favorite scent.

"I know, you have them _all_ over your apartment… Figured we could make this place smell like home," he replies.

Her smile has widened now. Sometimes she can't believe how sweet he truly is. It really should surprise her that he knows these kinds of things about her, but it doesn't. It's so completely Sam.

The next item she pulls from the box is a bag full of mixed candies and she knows exactly where he got it from.

"It's from the Candy Palace," he informs her. "Isn't that the place you always take Leo?" He asks.

She nods. "It is."

"Aren't those your favorites?" He asks, pointing to the bag. He tried to remember all of the candies she would ramble on about on the days she had plans to take Leo there, but he was worried he may have mixed a few up.

"Yes," she nods. "I can't believe you remembered," she muses.

"Well, you only talk my ear off about it every time you're taking Leo," he teases, causing her to laugh.

She gives him a big grin before putting the bag of candy down and going for the next item in the box.

"What's this?" She asks as she pulls out a USB drive.

"It's an audio recording of Tracey, Oliver and Gail at karaoke night singing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," he says, trying to suppress a laugh.

Andy, on the other hand, doesn't even try to suppress her fit of giggles. "How did you get this?" She asks, when she is finally able to calm down.

"Oh, Jerry e-mailed me it to me a while ago… we were keeping it as blackmail against Oliver. So, I went to this internet café a couple weeks ago, logged into my e-mail and downloaded it onto that USB," he explains.

"Wow, I'm impressed… Didn't think you knew how to do that," she teases, poking fun at his technological shortcomings.

"Hey, even I know how to use Google," he grins.

She lets out a laugh before she focuses on the other item in the box. "Sam… how did you… how did you know?" She asks as she starts pulling out some Old Spice deodorant.

"Your dad made Ollie go shopping for him once… when we were rookies. Spent the entire night complaining about it at the Penny. Said Tommy made him go all the way back because he forgot the Old Spice," Sam laughs. "Figured it'd remind you of him," he shrugs.

She's got tears in her eyes now and before he knows it, she's lunging herself at him and wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him really tight. "Thank you," she whispers in his ear. He wraps his arms around her and they just hold each other for a minute or so.

Eventually she pulls away and wipes away a tear that is streaming down her face. "This is _so_ much better than what I got you," she announces before reaching under the tree and passing him his gift.

"Andy, it's not a big deal," he tells her.

"Sam. It _is_ a big deal. This… this is really amazing… thank you," she tells him again.

"You're welcome," he says with a smile. He can't help but feel ridiculously proud at how much she likes his gift.

"Open yours," she instructs.

"Okay," he says as he tears open the paper to reveal a bottle of his absolute favorite scotch. "Andy, this is great, seriously. How'd you know this was my favorite?" He wonders.

"I pay attention," she smiles.

"Well, I think we should break this open tonight," he says with a smile.

"Sounds good."

========Pretend=========

I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I wanted to get something up this weekend.

Anyway, please review and let me know your thoughts! Any suggestions for where this story should go would be welcomed! I have a few ideas for different scenes, but that's about it.


	5. Happy New Year

Decided to finish this tonight. I think you should reward me with a review!

Enjoy.

=========Pretend=========

She's really not sure how she ended up here. They were just supposed to go shopping- maybe pick out a cute outfit and grab some lunch, but now she's standing in a bridal shop trying on wedding dresses for a group of women she only met one month ago, but have slowly become her good friends.

Yeah, she's really not sure why she let them talk her into this.

"Wow… JD is gonna flip if you walk down the aisle in this," Lena squeals as Andy does a twirl around the room.

"Yeah, it's nice, right?" Andy smiles as she looks at herself in the mirror. If she's honest, she does kind of like this one. If she actually _was_ getting married, she could see herself walking down the aisle in something like this. And for a brief moment, she even considers if Sam would like her in a dress like this, but then she immediately shakes the thought from her mind.

"It's gorgeous!" Claire exclaims.

"I can't believe this is the first time you've tried on dresses," Lena muses. "I started going dress shopping the _weekend_ after I got engaged," she laughs.

"Yeah, but we really haven't been engaged that long and we haven't picked an actual date or anything, yet…" Andy shrugs.

"When _do_ you think you'll get married?" Trish speaks up.

"I don't know. We're not in a rush… just trying to get settled here, first, you know?" Andy asks.

"Yeah, makes sense," Trish agrees.

"But we're thinking probably next year… maybe next December," she informs them as the girls nod in understanding.

"You and JD are just so cute together. The way he's always looking at you… and he pretty much _always_ has his hands on you… It's just adorable," Lena tells her.

Andy blushes a little. Not for the first time, she wonders if Sam is just a really great actor or if Lena is picking up on something more, but once again, she shakes the thought from her mind.

"I wish Gordon would look at me that way… you are really lucky, Candace," Trish tells her.

"Yeah, I know," Andy concurs with a grin.

The girls smile at her for a moment before Claire hands her another dress to try on. "Okay, try this one!" she insists.

"Okay, but only a few more. I'm _starving_ ," Andy negotiates.

"Fine, fine," Claire agrees. "But after lunch, I think we should go to Victoria's Secret and pick out something for the wedding night," she says with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

Andy tries not to blush. How is she going to get out of that?

=========Pretend=========

"Hey," she greets Sam as she walks in the front door, holding a couple shopping bags.

"Have fun?" He asks, eyeing the bags in her hand.

"Ugh. Those girls can _really_ shop. I'm exhausted," she declares as she collapses on the couch. He laughs and sits down beside her. "Oh, you'll never guess what I did today," she tells him as she pulls out her cell phone.

"I thought you went shopping…" he says with a raised eyebrow.

"I tried on wedding dresses!" she exclaims with a chuckle.

"What?" He asks with widened eyes.

"We passed by this little bridal shop and the girls dragged me in… Wanna see pictures?" She asks.

"You have pictures?"

"Yes. Claire took a bunch on my phone," she tells him. "See?" She asks as she holds out the phone for him to see. As she flips through the pictures, he is more or less speechless. Every once in a while he is able to get out a simple "wow," but yeah, that's about it.

"Weird, right?" She says, about two thirds of the way through the slideshow.

"What's weird?" He asks.

"Trying on wedding dresses… It was pretty weird," she explains.

"Reminded you of the last time you did it?" He assumes.

"What? No. I've never tried on wedding dresses before," she informs him.

"No?"

"Nope."

"Oh," he says. And honestly, that little piece of information makes him a lot happier than it should.

"Yeah… oh, this is the one that Lena wants me to get. She was pushing hard, trying to get me to put down a deposit," she laughs.

"Well, it does look good on you," he tells her with a small smile.

"Thanks," she says with a grin.

"This one's _my_ favorite," he declares as he points to a picture a few seconds later.

"Oh yeah?" She grins, surprised that he would actually have a favorite. And the fact that he's pointing to the dress that was her favorite, too… well, it kind of makes her stomach do a few flips.

"Yeah," he nods.

"Why?" She asks.

"I don't know… You just look… beautiful," he says with a shrug.

"Thanks… that one is actually my favorite, too," she tells him with a smile. He turns his face slightly and their eyes meet for a brief moment before they turn their attention back to her phone. "Oh! Can you believe they made me try _this_ one on? I am deleting this immediately!" she exclaims as she comes to a photo of her in one of the biggest dresses in the entire store. "I look like a giant cupcake!"

"You really do," he agrees with a laugh, causing her to playfully hit him in the stomach.

Eventually, her little slideshow is over and she throws her phone back in her purse.

"So, what did you buy?" He asks, peeking in one of her bags.

"Just a few things… a sweater, a couple tops and a pair of jeans," she informs him. "Oh God. And the girls _made_ me buy this," she declares as she pulls out a handful of lace from the Victoria's Secret bag. "For our wedding night," she adds with a smirk as she holds it up against herself and playfully wiggles her eyebrows.

His throat goes dry at the sight and he takes a second to compose himself. "What?" He asks, still slightly in a daze.

"It'd be suspicious if I said no, so I just bought it and I figured I could just go return it in a couple days," she says with a shrug as she shoves it back inside the bag.

"Uh okay." he replies, still desperately trying not to picture Andy wearing the lingerie she was just waving around in front of him.

"So… you hungry?" she asks as she takes the shopping bags and places them beside their dresser.

"Yeah. Want me to make something?" He asks as he gets up off the couch, happy to distract himself by making dinner.

"I'll help," she offers as she meets him in the kitchen.

"You gonna be my sous chef, McNally?" He teases.

She playfully rolls her eyes. "You know, I _can_ cook," she claims.

"Oh yeah? Prove it," he dares.

"Fine. _I'm_ cooking dinner, tonight," she announces with a grin.

=========Pretend=========

"Andy, you almost ready? The cab's here!" Sam calls to her from the couch.

"Yep!" she shouts through the bathroom door. Moments later, she opens the door and walks into the room as she stumbles to put on her heels. "Ready," she announces. "How do I look?" She asks, doing a little spin.

"Uh… great," he replies as he stands up and walks over to her. The dress she's wearing is doing some serious things to him right now and all he can think is that he's glad this is the last holiday he'll have to participate in for a while. He's not sure how much longer he can stand seeing her in these little outfits without just giving in and ripping them off of her.

"Thanks… I'm _so_ glad we're not going to the Alpine tonight… It's just not New Year's Eve if you don't dress up a bit, don't ya think?" she asks as she grabs her purse. The original plan had been to just go to the Alpine, but then Alex suggested going to a New Year's party at a bar downtown and everyone else eagerly agreed.

"Oh yeah, that's what I'm always saying," he quips. "Ready to go?" He asks.

"Lead the way," she grins before following him out the door.

=========Pretend=========

"Having fun?" She grins as she hands him his fourth beer of the night. She knows this isn't really his thing, but he's being a good sport. She's pretty sure no one but her can tell that he's not exactly having the best time.

"Oh yeah. This is exactly how I wanted to spend my night," he replies. "Crammed in a bar with enough people to violate the fire code, while paying triple the price for drinks," he continues.

She giggles. She's not sure how he makes being grumpy so charming, but she thinks it's the way his mouth is slightly turned up into a barely there smile, or maybe it's the teasing tone he uses… or maybe it's the fact that she's already had three whiskey sours. "So…" she begins as she runs a finger down his chest. "How _would_ you prefer to spend your night?" she flirts.

She knows she's in dangerous territory here, but the three drinks she's consumed and the fact that technically, she's _supposed_ to be flirting with him makes her feel like this is completely innocent. And so what if there really isn't anyone around them right now? You never know who could be watching,,,

She meets his gaze and watches as his eyes become just a little darker. "Hmm…" he pretends to think. "I'm sure I could come up with something," he smirks. "Why? You uh… you have some ideas?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe a few," she shrugs, trying to fight the grin that's threatening to pop out.

"Can't wait to hear them," he says suggestively, causing her to chuckle.

Yeah, this may be getting out of hand.

She takes a big sip of her drink, hoping it will give her a second to cool off. It works- for the most part…

"So uh, Alex invited us back to his place afterwards," she mentions, already knowing he won't love the idea. She's not sure why, but Alex is definitely not one of his favorite people. Sometimes, she likes to think it's because he's a little bit flirty with her, but she's guessing there is probably some other reason she's unaware of.

"Really?" He asks, obviously not too enthused by the suggestion.

"Just for a little while," she says with a smile. "We don't have to stay long, but we should go for a bit, don't ya think?" She asks.

He sighs. "Yeah… I guess you're right," he concedes. "What time is it, anyway?" He asks.

"Just over a minute to midnight," she tells him.

He nods and takes a sip of his beer. "Are _you_ having fun?" He asks a moment later.

"I always have fun with _you_ ," she flirts. She maybe even batted her eyelashes a couple times, just for fun.

"Oh yeah?" He grins.

"Mhm," she nods. And he's just about to say something when the entire bar starts counting down from ten. As the countdown continues, Sam finishes off his beer and places it on the table beside him. Then, he allows Andy to take one last sip of her drink before he takes it and puts that on the table as well. She shoots him a confused look, but ends up playing along.

When the clock finally strikes twelve, Sam has his hands on her waist and is pulling her flush against him as she wraps her arms around his neck. As their lips meet, he cups the back of her head with one hand and walks her a few steps backward until she is right up against the wall. With one hand tangled in her hair and the other squeezing her waist, he coaxes her mouth open and strokes his tongue with hers. They continue like this for God knows how long, completely oblivious to everything around them. His hand even starts to travel lower down her back until it's resting right at the very edge of appropriate. And her fingers have kind of snuck under his shirt to graze his bare skin. But yeah, it's just for show…

When Andy involuntarily whimpers in his mouth, he finally wakes up and pulls away. Their chests are still heaving up and down and they are just staring at each other, trying to catch their breath.

"Happy New Year," Sam says with a smile.

"Happy New Year," Andy mimics.

=========Pretend=========

Okay, there's the next chapter. One more chapter after this and then Andy will start working at the warehouse.

I'm a fan of this chapter. Hope you are, too!

Please review!


	6. Relax

So, this chapter is much shorter than I typically post, but it's better than nothing, right? It's a bit of a filler chapter, but I still like it. I promise the next chapter will make up for it. It's already written, so I'll probably post it early next week.

Anyway, please enjoy!

=========Pretend=========

The second he gets in the car, she can tell he's had a rough day at work. He leans in to give her a very quick kiss, but he doesn't say much the entire ride home. She asks a few questions, but after getting nothing besides one word answers, she decides to leave him alone.

When they get home, she tells him to go take a shower while she makes dinner. He gives her a smile and nods his head before disappearing into the bathroom.

Luckily, she's already prepared dinner before going to pick him up so all she really has to do is actually cook everything. First, she drizzles some olive oil and sprinkles some sea salt on the smashed red potatoes before roasting them in the oven. Then she cooks the steaks in a frying pan with a little bit of butter, garlic and thyme while simultaneously sautéing the green beans with some shallots and bits of bacon.

When he comes out of the shower, he's changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants and he seems as if he's in a better mood. She pops the cap off a beer and hands it to him as he walks into the kitchen.

"Wow," he says, when he sees the assortment of food she's prepared. She usually makes dinner on the days that he's working, but it's generally just something simple and quick. However, since Sam usually goes all out when he cooks, she decided to step up her dinner menu a little bit. It's not as if she has anything better to do and she figured he'd enjoy a nice meal after a long day at work. "Looks delicious," he adds as he places his hand on the small of her back. He only leaves it there for a second, but somehow she knows that it's his way of saying thank you.

"Why don't you go watch TV or something?" she suggests. "I'll let you know when it's done. Shouldn't be too much longer."

"That's okay. Why don't I set the table?" He says, but he doesn't wait for her to answer. Instead, he starts grabbing the plates, cups and silverware and putting them on the table.

Several minutes later, they are both sitting down to eat.

"This is really good," he tells her.

"Glad you like it," she smiles.

He nods and goes back to gobbling down his meal.

"So… rough day?" She asks, hesitantly.

"Just long and tiring… Lots of heavy lifting… I'm just a little sore, that's all. The hot shower helped," he assures her.

She nods and they continue eating together.

About twenty minutes later, they are standing over the sink while she washes and he dries. She can't help but notice the way he keeps cracking his neck and stretching his back.

"Hey, I've got this. Why don't you go relax?" She suggests.

"I'm fine," he replies.

"Sam, seriously. I can do this. You've had a long day," she insists.

He glances over at her and after a mini staring contest, he eventually gives in. "Yeah, okay. Thanks," he tells her with a squeeze of her shoulder.

She quickly finishes up and joins him on the couch. She sits right beside him and waits until he goes to crack his neck again. Then, she lifts her hand to the back of his neck and starts to massage it with her fingers. He peers over at her, but she doesn't look at him; she just focuses on the television. Eventually, his focus returns to the television as well, but he isn't really able to pay attention to it.

What she's doing to him- it is exactly what he needs after a day like today. He closes his eyes and lowers his chin to his chest so she has more access and she continues to knead her fingers up and down his neck.

"That feels really good," he tells her as he places his hand on her knee for a second and gently squeezes.

"You wanna go lie down on the bed and I'll do your back?" She suggests, finally glancing up at him.

He opens his eyes and turns to look at her. She sends him a smile and then moves to get up before holding her hand out for him. "C'mon," she says. He takes her hand and she helps him up, then she pulls him towards the bed.

"Take off your shirt," she tells him when they are standing beside their bed.

He quirks an eyebrow and a smile graces his lips. "Is this just a ploy to get me to take off my shirt?" He teases.

She rolls her eyes. "You caught me," she says, sarcastically. He laughs and lifts his shirt over his head before lying face down on the bed with his head resting in his folded arms. Then, she climbs on top of him and straddles his back before she quickly begins massaging his shoulders. After a minute or two, he covers one of her hands with his and squeezes it. "Thanks Andy," he tells her, before releasing her hand and allowing her to continue.

"You're welcome," she tells him. She continues kneading his shoulders before eventually working her way down. When she eventually gets to his lower back, she hears his breathing even out and she realizes that he's fallen asleep. She smiles and continues rubbing his back for a few more minutes before she carefully climbs off of him and pulls the blankets up to his waist. She turns off the lights and goes to watch television for a while before bed.

=========Pretend=========

He's not sure how he ended up here. Sitting around Jacob's kitchen table, half naked while Andy sits across from him, equally naked.

It all started with an innocent card game. The guys were drinking beer and playing poker while the girls were out dancing at some club. Around one o'clock, they burst through the door in a fit of giggles, definitely more than just tipsy. Andy walked straight over to him and sat on his lap before giving him a kiss. He noticed that it lasted a bit longer than normal, but he isn't one to complain.

A moment later, she was hopping off of him to help Lena get drinks for all of the girls. And then, suddenly, Lena was suggesting that the girls join in on the game and oh yeah, they were going to play strip poker.

He noticed Andy's nervous laugh right away, but everyone else seemed totally on board with this new development, so what was he supposed to do? So, Andy ended up taking the empty chair across from him and they began playing.

Even with her impressive poker skills, she still ended up losing her dress, which only led to a serious decline in his own poker game. As much as he enjoyed seeing her like this, he wasn't thrilled with the fact that the other guys kept sneaking glances, especially Alex. He really didn't like that guy. At all.

So yeah, after that, he ended up losing his shirt, his jeans and one sock. Lucky for him, though, Gordon's game seemed to decline rapidly with each and every beer he consumed and he was halfway through beer number seven when he lost his t-shirt.

And now he is just down to his boxers and he doesn't seem the least bit bothered that he is about to lose.

"So what are the couples doing tomorrow night?" Lena asks in between hands. She recently began referring to Claire and Jacob, Sam and Andy, Trish and Gordon, and herself and Ryan as 'the couples.' She thought it was cute, but nobody else was really a fan.

"We don't have plans," Trish replies, stealing a glance at her drunken boyfriend. "Although, I'm sure, _someone_ will be busy nursing a hangover."

"I'm fine," Gordon argues, causing a few laughs from around the table.

"What about you guys?" Lena asks Sam and Andy.

"We're free," Andy replies after stealing a look at Sam.

"Jacob? Claire?"

"We're not doing anything. What'd you have in mind?" Claire asks.

"Everyone should come to our place tomorrow night. I'll make dinner," she suggests. "We could probably use a calm night after tonight," she adds.

"You know, this really isn't fair," Alex points out.

"What?" Lena asks.

"You always excluding me and Jose just because we are currently unattached," he pouts.

"Do you really want to come over and have dinner with us?" She asks with a quirked eyebrow.

"No. But it's the _principal_ ," he argues.

"Well then maybe you should get girlfriends," she teases.

"No thanks, I'm perfectly happy being a bachelor," he insists.

"Sure," Lena rolls her eyes.

"I am," he argues. "Being in a relationship is like deciding to only have chocolate chip cookies for the rest of your life instead of being able to have ice cream, cake, donuts, brownies…"

"Okay we get it," Claire interrupts.

"Alex, you are _so_ wrong. Being in a relationship is like having a chocolate chip cookie every single day instead of once every three months getting to have a brownie or a slice of cake," Lena argues.

"Honey, who are you kidding? Alex is lucky if he gets a brownie every _six_ months," Jacob laughs, along with the rest of the group- well, everyone except Alex.

"You're right. I was giving him too much credit," she agrees.

"You guys are such asses," Alex pouts, causing laughter to fill the room. Eventually, the subject gets changed and Ryan deals the next hand.

"So, dinner tomorrow night?" Lena asks, while looking at her current hand.

Everyone seems to agree, so they make plans to get there around seven. And then they play the next hand and to absolutely no one's surprise, Gordon loses, allowing Sam to finally suck in the breath he's been holding. He quickly helps Andy with her zipper and then gets dressed himself.

=========Pretend=========

Like I said, I know it was short, but I hope everyone enjoyed it. As I mentioned, I figured it was better than nothing. And the next chapter is much longer.

I'm going to try and post the next chapter of Roommates tonight. Otherwise, it should be up tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

And don't forget to review! If I get enough, I might be persuaded to post the next chapter before next week ;)


	7. Lines Crossed

Hey guys!

So… this chapter has some M rated material, but if that's not your thing, you can still read this. I bookended the M rated scene with bold letters, so you know which part to skip. And don't worry, you won't miss anything material to the story if you decide not to read that part.

Anyway, hope you like this!

=========Pretend=========

The next night Sam and Andy are eating dinner at Ryan and Lena's. Gordon was unsurprisingly extremely hungover, so he and Trish decided to stay home, but the other couples still made it.

Everyone has just finished clearing the dishes from the table when Ryan suggests that they get into the hot tub.

"We don't have bathing suits," Andy points out.

"You and Claire can borrow some from Lena and I have extras for the guys… It's decided. Hot tub," he says, not leaving much room for argument. Andy glances at Sam who just shrugs.

Lena laughs. "C'mon girls, I've got some extra bikinis," she says, leading them into her bedroom. "Sorry, Ryan has been dying to use the hot tub all weekend," she says after closing the bedroom door. She starts to dig through her drawers before pulling out two bikinis and handing one to Andy and one to Claire.

"Candace, you can change in here and Claire, you can change in the bathroom," Lena instructs. Claire and Lena leave the bedroom, closing the door behind them. Andy undresses and puts on the bikini she was just handed. She looks at herself in the mirror and her eyes widen. She feels extremely naked. She's wearing a skimpy dark purple bikini. The bottoms are teeny and held together with strings, while the top barely covers her breasts and is tied together into a halter top. After taking a few minutes to calm herself, she leaves the bedroom to go join her friends.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam sees Andy walking in the room. His eyes darken and he swallows hard when he sees her. This is definitely the most of her he's ever seen and while he is really enjoying it, he doesn't love the fact that once again, everyone else is seeing that much of her, too.

When she sees him looking at her, she gives him an awkward smile, obviously uncomfortable with the lack of clothes she's got on.

"She looks hot, doesn't she?" Lena asks Sam when she notices him looking.

"She always does," he says, so casually, never taking his eyes off of her. Andy smiles and walks towards him. He puts his arm around her and kisses the side of her head. Moments later, his hand finds the small of her back and he leads her outside, where the steam from the hot tub has covered the entire yard.

Ryan and Lena go in first and then Jacob and Claire get in. Sam offers Andy his hand as she steps in the hot tub next. He watches her as she sits back in the steaming water with her eyes closed, obviously enjoying the feel of the hot water surrounding her. Sam gets in last and steals the spot closest to Andy. He wraps his arm around her with his hand landing on her side. He absent mindedly begins to play with the strings on her bikini, with his thumb grazing her skin every so often.

Andy is barely listening to the conversation. She can't focus on anything except the feel of Sam's fingers brushing her skin as he plays with the strings of her bikini. Doesn't he know how distracting he is?

Eventually, she decides to give him a taste of his own medicine and places her hand on his leg. She slowly starts to inch her way just barely under the hem of his bathing suit leg, so her fingers are grazing his bare skin. She feels his leg stiffen and smiles, knowing that she is distracting him just as much as he is distracting her. She nods her head, acting like she is engaged in whatever story Lena is telling at the moment, and continues to very slowly inch her way just a little bit further up the leg of Sam's bathing suit. Her fingers are running in circles as she moves her hand down to his inner thigh, just barely two inches up from the hem of his bathing suit. As she starts to move further up his thigh, he grabs her wrist, removing her hand from his pant leg.

"You're making it _really_ hard to concentrate," he whispers to her, still clutching her wrist.

"You started it!" She quips, still whispering. A smile plays on his lips as he takes his hand off of her and instead wraps his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. She instantly misses the feel of his hands on her hips.

She rests her head on Sam's shoulder and he instinctively pulls her even closer. She lets out a big yawn, hoping it would remind everyone how late it is and that the boys have work in the morning.

"Tired, Candace?" Lena asks.

Andy nods. "Yeah, didn't get much sleep last night," she says.

"J.D. you're wearing the poor girl out," Jacob jokes. Sam looks down at Andy, who bats her eyelashes at him and gives him a small smile.

"Yeah, maybe I should take her home," Sam says, not taking his eyes off of her. Andy's smile grows.

"Yeah, we should probably get going too. We all have the early shift tomorrow," Jacob says, looking at his watch.

"I hate the Sunday shift," Ryan grunts.

"I don't know, I have a hard time saying no to time and a half," Jacob replies.

"True," Ryan agrees.

Everyone gets out of the hot tub, goes back inside and changes into their clothes. They all say their goodbyes and within ten minutes, Sam and Andy are headed back home. Neither of them say much of anything the entire way there.

"Home sweet home," Andy says as they enter their apartment. "I'm gonna take a quick shower. I smell like chlorine," she tells him, heading towards the bathroom.

"Don't use all the hot water," he calls after her. She dismisses him with a wave of her hand, but he hears the water turn off eight minutes later. She walks out of the steamy bathroom in nothing but a towel. Her hair is wet, but she obviously took a minute to put a comb through it. It's not the first time he's seen her like this, but he still isn't used to it. He's not sure he ever will be.

"Your turn," she tells him with a smile.

"Thanks," he says as he walks past her into the bathroom and closes the door. Andy dries off and opens her dresser drawer. She picks out a black thong and decides there is no reason to put on a bra. She slips on her underwear and searches for something to sleep in, but she comes up empty. She makes a mental note to do laundry tomorrow and then grabs one of Sam's t-shirts from his drawer. She pulls it over her head just as she hears the water turn off. A couple minutes later, Sam appears, wearing only some flannel pajamas pants. When he sees her, he immediately looks at her bare legs and then notices the shirt she's wearing.

"Are you wearing my shirt?" He asks with a grin.

"Yep," she tells him, as if he shouldn't be surprised.

"Okay…"

"What? You're gonna marry me, but you can't share your shirt?" She teases.

He playfully holds his hands up defensively.

"It looks better on me, anyway," she quips, before he has a chance to say anything.

"Yeah, it definitely does," he agrees, making her blush a little.

She walks over to the couch and he follows. He sits down while she grabs the remote off the television stand. She turns on the hockey game and collapses on the couch right beside him. She is sitting diagonally so when she rests her feet on the coffee table, her legs are half on Sam's lap. This surprises him, but without much thought, he starts to run his hand up and down her smooth skin. _God, she is making this really difficult._

Her skin is tingling under his touch, but she doesn't want it to stop. The cocktails she drank earlier in the night are giving her courage and she starts to play with the hair on the nape of his neck. This is how they act in public, when they are around people who think they are J.D. and Candace, but it's not how they are supposed to act in private, when they are simply Sam and Andy. But the lines between JD and Candace and Sam and Andy have been getting blurrier by the day and she's more confused than ever. There are moments when she thinks he is just putting on a show, but then there are these moments when she is so sure that this is real. When he sits closer to her than he has to. When he lingers on her lips. When he flirts with her even though there is no one else around. When she wakes up in the morning and his arm is around her waist. When he holds her hand even though she's sure nobody else even notices. When she catches him looking at her, even when they are at home alone. These moments are becoming more frequent, but a part of her is still unsure. Does she want it so badly that she is imagining all of this?

Or maybe it's simply the fact that they are alone in this apartment together, away from everyone they know, sharing a bed and pretending to be together. Maybe it's simply convenience. Maybe it's just become habit.

But it has to be more than that. The way he looks at her, the way he touches her, the way he always goes with her when she is running errands, the way he helps her cook dinner, the way he smiles at her, it has to be more.

"McNally…" he says, jolting her from her thoughts. Sam shifts on the couch, so he is facing her.

"Hm?" She says, but he doesn't respond. He is staring down at her naked thigh where his thumb is running circles on her skin. When he finally meets her gaze, he instantly starts to pull her closer and she follows his lead, letting him pull her onto his lap. Suddenly, she is facing him, straddling him, actually. Sam's hands are on her waist and he is tugging her even closer to him.

Is this happening? She isn't sure. Maybe this is all some sort of dream.

But no, her arms are around his neck and they are both just starting at each other. Sam is slowly shaking his head as if he's trying to convince himself and probably her, too, that this is a horrible idea. The problem is, that neither one of them wants to be convinced. She takes a deep breath and starts to lean closer. Without hesitation, he meets her in the middle and his lips hover over hers for a moment before he finally just goes for it. Their lips crash together and it's slow, but ridiculously passionate. His fingers are tangled in her hair and she is cupping his face while their tongues fight for control. His hand slowly sneaks up the back of her shirt and she lets out a quiet moan as his fingers graze her bare skin **.**

 **A few minutes later,** he lifts her top over her head, forcing them to part for a moment. He tosses her shirt somewhere in the distance and then pulls her in closer, so their bare skin is touching and her breasts are pressed up against him. He wraps his arms around her to hold her there, simply enjoying the feel of her nipples rubbing against his chest and never wanting to forget the feeling.

It's when he starts to kiss, suck and nip at her neck and she lets out this unbelievable moan, that he decides they need to move this to the bedroom. He picks her and carries her over to their bed, allowing her to wrap her legs around him. He gently puts her down and climbs on top of her. She pulls him down and their lips meet again. He kisses her a few times before he returns his attention to her neck, her collarbone and her ears. While he's nibbling on her earlobe, he cups her breasts, loving the way they feel in his hands.

She can feel him now, too. She sneaks her hand into his pajama bottoms and grabs him, eliciting a low groan from Sam's throat. He is still nibbling on her ear and sucking on her neck, causing Andy to make her own appreciative noises. She pushes his pajama bottoms down his legs and he wriggles out of them. Sam starts to place kisses down her body, stopping only to run his tongue around her nipples for a moment. When he gets to her underwear, he pulls it down her legs, placing kisses in its wake. When he makes his way back up, he slips his tongue in between her legs, causing her to arc her back and throw her head back against the pillow.

"Sam…" she moans and he's absolutely sure that it's the best thing he's ever heard.

He continues for a few minutes, completely enjoying the reaction he's getting out of her. And yeah, she could definitely let him take her over the edge this way, but that's not what she wants.

"Sam," she says again, almost breathless, as she tugs on his shoulders and pulls him back up to her. He knows what she wants and he wants it to. He presses his lips against hers as she gently squeezes him and rolls her hand up and down him for a moment before guiding him towards her. When he thrusts inside her, she lets out a quiet gasp. She's biting her lip and he's pushing the hair out of her eyes so he can see every part of her. When he pulls out, his eyes are locked on hers, wanting to see her reaction when he pushes inside of her again. And when he does, he's not disappointed. Moments later, when he quickens the pace, she moans even louder and he's already decided that it's his favorite sound in the entire world.

She is digging her nails into his back and he is sucking on her neck, leaving small marks where his lips have been. He slows down and then speeds up again, which he can see is driving her a little bit crazy.

"God… Sam…" She says as he pulls her thigh up towards him, making her tighten.

"McNally…" he groans, in a state of disbelief that this is actually happening. That he's kissing her and touching her. That she's making those noises for _him_.

His lips are on hers again and he is slipping his tongue into her mouth, wanting to explore all of it. His hands are running all over her body, wanting to memorize every single inch.

As his hands continues their exploration, she lifts her hips slightly, allowing him even more access. He pushes deeper inside her, eliciting a moan from her throat.

"Don't stop," she begs, and he's even more turned on. He pulls back to look her in the eyes. He just wants to see her. He wants to see the effect he is having on her, and he wants her to see the effect she has on him.

They stare at each other for a moment before she throws her head back, biting her lip.

"Sam…" she moans his name as she is teetering on the edge.

He groans as he quickens the pace and moments later, waves of pure euphoria are washing over them.

He stays inside her as they stare at each other for a minute or so, still trying to catch their breath. He nudges her with his nose before leaning in and giving her a quick kiss. He pushes a lock of hair behind her ear and runs his hand down her cheek.

"That was… wow…" Andy finally says, unable to come up with right words. She has had great sex before, but she has never had sex quite like _that_.

He lets out a laugh. "Yeah… that was definitely… something," he agrees before giving her another kiss. Eventually, he pulls out of her **and lies right** **beside her**.

She rests her head on his chest and wraps her arms around him, while he pulls her in as close as possible. They drift to sleep moments later.

=========Pretend=========

They wake up the next morning still tangled in the bed sheets and each other. Andy is still half on top of him, with her head resting on his chest. He is holding her closer than anyone ever has.

He wakes up to the feeling of her beginning to stir in his arms.

"Morning," he says softly, barely opening his eyes. She lifts her head to look at him, giving him a sheepish smile. "Morning," she replies. "Sorry I woke you."

"If this is what I get to wake up to…" he says, gesturing towards the beautiful, _naked_ , Andy McNally lying beside him. "Then, you have my permission to wake me up whenever you want," he finishes and he swears that he sees her blush.

He leans in and gives her a quick kiss before she settles back in his arms. They lie there silently for a few minutes before Andy finally speaks up.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" He asks, peering down at her.

"Last night… what was that?" She wonders.

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"Was it just sex or was it something more?" She clarifies as she averts his eyes.

"Andy…"

"It's okay if it _was_ just sex… I mean, it was _really_ great sex and I get it, it _is_ pretty convenient… and I mean, I wouldn't mind doing it again, but I'd just like to know what _it_ is… I don't really want another 'it was what it was' moment, you know?" She tells him. "I'd just like to know what we're doing," she clarifies, well aware that she is rambling.

He shifts in the bed so he is facing her straight on. He cups her face with his right hand, to get her attention.

"Andy, the only reason I said that was because I thought you didn't want this," he says, gesturing between the two of them. "I came into work that day thinking that maybe there was a chance for something to happen between us and then Callahan chased me down and told me that he was taking you to his fishing cabin and it was all your idea and oh, by the way, you weren't going to be doing any fishing… I figured you made your choice," he explains.

She takes a deep breath. "Sam, if you had just talked to me, I would've told you that I suggested going to the cabin a week _before_ the blackout… I was going to tell him I didn't want to go," she informs him.

He shakes his head, mentally cursing himself for jumping to conclusions, for not letting her explain, for not fighting for her. "Andy, this is _way_ more than just sex for me," he promises.

"Okay. Good… Me too," she says with a smile. He flashes his dimples and leans in for an affectionate kiss.

"What time is it?" He asks, when they pull away.

"7:15," she replies after glancing at the clock.

"Ugh. I gotta be at work soon," he grumbles. "Why did I agree to take the Sunday shift?" He asks, running his hand over his face. "Okay. I'm gonna go hop in the shower," he says before pressing his lips on hers and getting out of bed. She watches him walk to the bathroom and as soon as the water turns on, she throws her head back on the pillow.

She lies there, staring at the ceiling for a moment, before she tosses the sheets to the side and gets out of bed. She goes straight for the bathroom door.

When Sam hears the door open and close, he pushes the shower curtain aside to see Andy standing there, still naked.

"Want some company?" She asks, suddenly feeling nervous and second guessing her decision to open the bathroom door.

"Yes," he says simply, before pushing the shower curtain aside and allowing her to step in. The second she does, his hands are on her and he's pulling her close to him. Her arms sneak around his neck and he's placing kisses from her collarbone to her shoulder. His fingers are tangled in her hair as he presses his lips against hers and slips his tongue in her mouth. His hands are exploring her now, re-familiarizing himself with everything he was introduced to last night. And it's only a few minutes later that she's wrapping her legs around him and he's pushing her against the wall.

===============Pretend===============

He just can't get enough of her. She is constantly invading his thoughts in the most inappropriate of ways.

Sam already spends a lot of time thinking about Andy, but after the last twelve hours, he hasn't been able to focus on anything else. One night with her and he's addicted. He's spent the better part of today daydreaming about her and it's seriously affecting his work.

When he finally gets home that night, he throws his jacket on the couch and makes his way to the kitchen, where she is making dinner.

"Hey," she calls out to him. "How do you feel about pasta for dinner tonight?" She asks. She is facing away from him, standing over the sink as she fills a pot with water.

Without saying a word, he grabs her at the waist, spins her around and immediately kisses her. It is passionate, desperate, and perfect. He pulls her as close to him as he possibly can. She is surprised but she happily falls into his embrace as she wraps her arms around his neck. He cups her face as his tongue explores every inch of her mouth.

After a few minutes, Sam pulls away, breathless. He leans his forehead against hers, still cupping her face, as they both try to catch their breath.

"I've been thinking about doing that all day," he tells her with his eyes closed and one hand gently running up and down her back. His admission is unexpected, but she doesn't hate to hear it.

"I'm such a distraction," she says with a proud smirk, as her hands fall to his waist.

"You really are," he teases, as he plays with a lock of her hair.

"Did you notice that I'm making dinner?" She asks with a smile.

"Did I hear something about pasta?" He retorts.

"I may have mentioned pasta."

"Hmm… no wonder I'm marrying you," he teases, flashing his dimples. These past couple months, it's become an inside joke of sorts. "Need any help?" He asks.

"No, you just sit down and relax," she says with a smile as she ushers him out of the kitchen. He turns and gives her one last kiss before sitting down at the kitchen table and enjoying the sight of Andy cooking him dinner.

"So were you okay without the car today?" He asks.

"Yeah, I was fine," she assures him.

"You sure? I felt bad that you were gonna be stuck inside all day," he replies.

"Sam, I told you to take it… I mean, it was kind of my fault you were late," she smirks.

"True," he concurs with a laugh.

"So… anything exciting happen today?" She asks as she throws the dinner rolls into the oven.

"Well… this morning I had the best shower of my life," he tells her with a smirk.

She lets out a small laugh. "Anything else?" She asks

"That's not exciting enough for you?" He asks.

"No, that _was_ pretty exciting," she agrees.

===============Pretend===============

Okay, well I hope you enjoyed this nice long chapter! I'd love to know what you think!

And just a warning, I'm starting to run out of ideas for this story, so any inspiration people can provide would be GREATLY appreciated. Otherwise, I'm going to have to end it soon- and I kind of like it, so I'd rather not do that.

Oh and check out my new story- Rewritten (previously titled Hush Hush).

Please review!


	8. First Day

So sorry this has taken so long, but like I said, I'm really running low on ideas for this story. I will likely have to end it unless I can come up with something. I know some of you posed the idea of them getting into some danger while undercover, but I'm just not good at writing stuff like that. A few others suggested I write about them adjusting to life afterwards. I've definitely considered it, I'm just not sure what exactly I'd write. If you have some specific thoughts, I'd love to hear them!

If anyone has any other ideas, please let me know! Otherwise, the next chapter may be the last.

===============Pretend===============

She can tell he's on edge from the moment they wake up. He's even more quiet than usual and he seems completely lost in his thoughts. And what's even more worrisome is the fact that he's not touching her. Like at all.

They've barely been doing… whatever it is that they're doing for forty eight hours, but ever since then, his hands have pretty much been on her constantly.

But not this morning. This morning he's barely acknowledged her.

And it's kind of freaking her out.

"You okay?" She asks, eventually.

"Yeah," he replies, without even glancing in her direction.

"Sam…" she says, trying to get his attention. She just really wants him to look at her.

"What McNally?" He asks, a little rougher than he intended.

"You're obviously upset about something and I'm already nervous enough without having to worry about you being mad at me. Just talk to me," she pleads.

His face softens and he is kicking himself internally for the way he's been acting. He knows she's anxious about her first day of work and he should be making sure she's okay; he should be reassuring her, but instead he's been quiet and distant. He's just freaking out a bit and he's not sure what to do about it.

He walks over to her and places both hands on her waist and pulls her even closer. "I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you," he promises before leaning in for a quick kiss.

"Then what's up?" She asks, when he pulls away.

He lets out a sigh and then decides to just talk to her. "I just… I… you're ready for today, right?" He asks, eventually. He doesn't want her to think that he doesn't trust or believe in her, but he's just worried. Jamie Brennan is a dangerous guy and she's going to be spending a lot of time with him. Alone. And yeah, that freaks Sam out.

"I'm ready," she assures him. Although, if she's being honest, she has some doubts.

He nods and kisses her. It should have just been a quick kiss, but instead, he starts to stroke her tongue with his and slides his hands under her shirt before he lifts her up, places her on the kitchen counter and steps in between her legs to get closer to her.

"Sam," she whines. "We can't. We're gonna be late," she tells him as he places kisses up and down her neck.

"I know. Just a few more minutes," he requests, causing her to giggle a bit.

"Three more minutes and then we _really_ have to go," she demands before he angles to get his mouth on hers again.

"Deal," he murmurs against her lips.

===============Pretend===============

He knows he's not being very discreet. He's desperately trying to focus on his work, but he continuously finds himself checking in on her. He just can't help but worry.

It's not that he thinks she's going to screw up or blow their cover; she's proven to him on more than one occasion that she can do this and do it well. He just hates the idea of her spending so much time alone with a man who used to torture people for a living and who might be enjoying that same lifestyle again.

And it just kind of unnerves him how much Jamie seems to _like_ Andy. It really shouldn't be surprising considering how she's just the kind of person that most people tend to gravitate towards- himself included. But still, Jamie seems to like her a little _too_ much. Or maybe he's just being paranoid. It's honestly hard to tell nowadays.

So yeah, he's been sneaking glances at her a little too often. And for the most part, he hasn't seen anything bothersome, but now he's watching her walk across the warehouse with Alex and yeah, that just bugs him.

He's got a hand on the small of her back and he's grinning and she's laughing at something he's saying and it just looks a little too comfortable for his taste.

He watches them walk across the entire length of the warehouse like that. He doesn't want to look; he really doesn't want to keep seeing them like that, but he just can't tear his eyes away.

And if his focus was off before, now he's seriously distracted. For the rest of the day, he can't seem to focus on a single thing. As much as he tries to push it out of his mind, he can't stop thinking about Alex having his hands on her.

And he knows it's crazy- the feeling he has in the pit of his stomach. He knows he's being completely insane, but he just can't help it. He just doesn't know what his problem is. Why is he feeling like this? He never used to get jealous when it came to women. He can't recall a single time he's felt like this. But with Andy, it's always been different.

She's always stirred up those feelings in him, but at least before, it was semi-reasonable. It wasn't completely irrational for him to be jealous after the blackout, but there's no way he can justify what he's feeling now. It's not as if she would have sex with him twice last night and then suddenly decide she has a thing for Alex. I mean, it's Alex. There's no way.

But still, he can't shake the image of him leading Andy across the warehouse with his hand on the small of her back.

===============Pretend===============

"Okay, _what_ is your problem?" Andy asks, the second they walk through the door into their apartment.

"I don't have a problem, McNally," he retorts. He knows he's being childish. He knows he's being irrational. He knows he's being an ass. But he just can't stop. He's just annoyed. He's annoyed at himself, at Andy, at Alex... he just can't help it.

"Why are you being so cold towards me? What the hell did I do to piss you off so much?" She shouts.

"Nothing, okay? Nothing," he says, before he starts to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Well, it's obviously something, so why don't you just tell me?" She demands.

He lets out a giant sigh, before eventually looking up and meeting her eyes. "I just… I just thought you understood what it meant to be undercover, but apparently, you don't," he spits out.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" She asks, completely taken back by his words.

"Andy, we're supposed to be a couple. We're supposed to be engaged!" He exclaims.

"Duh," she says, wiggling her ring finger in the air.

"Okay, so do you think it's normal for an engaged woman to be flirting with another man?" He asks, impatiently.

"What! I was not flirting!" She insists.

"You were giggling and… and you were letting him _touch_ you," Sam points out.

"Who?" She asks. "Alex? He touched me for a second… barely touched me," she amends.

"It was definitely not a second and it was definitely not _barely_ ," he argues. "And even if it was… I just don't think happily engaged women go around letting other guys touch them like that… even if it was _barely_ ," he sneers.

"You used to do the _same_ thing when I was engaged to Luke," she points out.

"Well, you _weren't_ happily engaged to him, were you?" He reasons.

"Sam…" she says, unsure how to respond.

He takes a deep breath and he starts to feel guilty for snapping like that. He doesn't want to fight with her. He just wants to stop feeling like this. Seeing her with Alex like that… it just stirred up all of these old feelings that he has been trying to forget. He was suddenly transported back to a time when he had to sit idly by and watch her be with Callahan and it just… sucked. "Look, we just need to make sure everyone believes us… believes our story," he explains as he tries to calm himself down a bit.

"Sam, _everyone_ believes us… Nobody in their right mind thinks that I want Alex in the slightest," she maintains. "Except maybe _you_ ," she says, softly.

He lets out a sigh. "I don't think you _want_ him," he says with a roll of his eyes. "I just… I don't like how he looks at you, okay?" He admits.

"How does he look at me?" She wonders.

"Like he's trying to picture you naked," he replies. Her jaw drops and she isn't sure what to say. "Look, we don't know these people, okay? Sure, most of them seem nice, but we don't know them and they could be anyone. They could be dangerous. You need to be careful," he tells her.

"I _am_ being careful. What do you think he's going to do? Attack me at work? While my fiancé and about fifty other people are in the other room?" She asks.

"No! I just… Look, I'm sorry, okay? I've just been on edge today and I don't really like the guy and… and seeing the two of you like that… it just… I don't know, it kind of sucked… but, I am sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you," he apologizes.

"It's okay," she forgives him as she steps up in front of him and wraps her arms around his neck. His hands goes straight to her waist as he pulls her even closer and brushes her nose with his.

"So… you were jealous," she says with a smug grin.

He lets out a laugh. "I don't know if I'd say _that_ ," he argues.

"Hm… really? I think I would," she retorts.

He rolls his eyes, good naturedly. "Maybe just a little bit," he finally concedes.

She grins and kisses him while running her fingers through his hair. When she pulls away, they share a genuine smile, before she speaks up. "You know, you really don't need to be jealous," she informs him.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mhm… I mean, if you don't know by now, I'm… I'm all yours," she tells him.

He stomach does a few flips at her words and he doesn't even try to tame the smile that's engulfing his face. Andy McNally telling him that she's his… well, it's pretty much the best thing he's ever heard.

===============Pretend===============

I'm kind of wishing I just ended the story at the last chapter because I'm just really not sure about this one. Hopefully, you guys like it, though.

Let me know! And please drop some suggestions in your reviews. Lord knows I need them!


	9. Caught

Well, this isn't the last chapter, but I'm not sure how many there will be because I'm still hurting for ideas. I watched the last few episodes of season two, hoping inspiration would strike and luckily, it worked! This idea and possibly a couple others came to me… so we'll see how much longer I can extend this.

I do want to say that I appreciate all of the encouraging reviews! They are definitely great motivation.

===============Pretend===============

Somewhere in the back of their minds, they know they shouldn't be doing this, but the problem is that they just don't care enough to stop. It's the first time they've hung out with their friends since they started sleeping together and it's been a bit more difficult than either of them thought it would be. They are a happily engaged couple, so it's not like they aren't allowed to touch either or kiss, but they probably shouldn't be doing _this_. Couples who have been together a while, aren't usually all over each other like this. And yeah, they have definitely been all over each other.

The thing is, it was much easier to control themselves before they started drinking and now that the liquor is swirling around in their stomachs, it's basically impossible to stop touching and/or kissing each other every chance they get.

So yeah, when Sam offers to go get everyone's drinks, Andy doesn't hesitate to join him. And that's how they ended up here- Sam leaning against the bar with Andy standing in between his legs, his tongue down her throat and his hand in her back pocket. The bar is pretty slammed, so their drinks have taken longer than normal, but they really couldn't care less. They've pretty much been making out like this ever since Sam gave the bartender their drink order.

And yeah, they know it's not appropriate, even for the Alpine, but they've just been having a hard time keeping their hands off each other ever since they started… whatever it is that they started.

"Wow, what's gotten into you two?" They hear Lena ask a few minutes later. She follows up the question with a friendly laugh when she sees the dazed looks on their faces.

They both pull away slightly at the sound of her voice and now, Andy is blushing and Sam is chuckling a little.

That's when they both notice that all of their drinks are sitting on the bar and who knows how long they've been there.

Yeah, they were definitely getting carried away.

"Just having a hard time keeping my hands off her tonight," Sam says with a smirk as he glances over at her.

She really tries to tame the grin that's taking over her face, but she's completely unsuccessful. Hearing stuff like that from Sam, it's still very new and she's not even close to being used to it yet. And yeah, she _really_ likes hearing it. A lot.

Lately, he's been talking to her during sex- telling her all kinds of amazing things that she'd never imagine coming out of his mouth, like how pretty she is, how good she feels, how badly he wants her, how he has for a while. It still feels surreal- hearing stuff like that from him.

Lena is smiling at them now, just watching the exchange of looks they're giving each other. "You guys are just adorable!" she squeals before grabbing two beers and heading back to the table.

Sam and Andy share a small laugh before they grab the rest of the beers and start walking back to their table.

"We're going home early tonight, Candace… Really wanna get you into bed," he whispers seductively in her ear. And well, she wholeheartedly agrees.

===============Pretend===============

About thirty minutes later, Sam and Andy are watching the game of pool going on between Jacob, Ryan and the two strangers they challenged moments ago. Sam is leaning against the bar stool, while Andy is settled in between his legs with her back to his front. His chin is resting on her shoulder and his arms are wrapped around her waist. And every once in a while, when he thinks no one is looking, he pushes her hair aside and starts sucking on her neck a little bit. Each time he does it, a smile spreads across her face and she starts to giggle. And yeah, she may also tilt her head to give him more access and maybe a few times, she's wiggled her ass into him just enough to elicit a light groan.

Claire caught them the first time. "Get a room!" she teased from the other side of the pool table. So, Sam pulled his mouth away from her neck and once Andy had finally stopped pouting, he'd start up again.

It was Gordon who caught them the second time. "Jesus, you guys are like a couple horny teenagers tonight," he laughed before taking a large sip of his beer. So, Sam stopped and Andy pouted. But then, it would only take five minutes for him to push her hair aside and start nipping at her skin some more.

He's sucking a bit harder this time and he's nibbling on her ear, too. He even gets a quiet moan of out of her before she can even think to shut up. Luckily, no one heard it except Sam. She can feel his grin against her skin and she wants to roll her eyes at him, but she's way too wound up to even try. Then, he starts sucking on her neck again and his fingers are just grazing slightly under the hem of her sweater. She's about to ask him to take her home when she feels someone watching her.

She looks around to their friends, but they are all engrossed in conversation or the game of pool. So, she starts to scour the bar. She is sure someone is looking at her. Without a doubt, she can feel it.

And then as she scans the bar, she finally spots her- the person who's been staring.

Holy shit.

When they lock eyes, she freezes.

She's giving her the strangest look. It's a mixture of 'what the hell are you doing?' and 'what the hell should I do now.'

Sam feels the change in her body language right away and he pulls his lips away from her neck and tries to get her attention.

"Hey," he says, tugging at her sweater. She's completely out of it and staring off at something. He tries to follow her eyes, but the bar is kind of crowded tonight and he can't see what she's looking at. "Hey, you okay?" He asks, giving her hip a light pinch to wake her up. Finally, she jolts away and turns completely around to face him. At first, her hands instinctively land on his thighs but for some reason she removes them so quickly it's as if she got burned. "What's wrong?" He asks her. The look on her face is freaking him out a little. She's got these wide nervous eyes like she's just been caught doing something and she's biting her lower lip so hard it's starting to turn white. "What is it?" He asks again.

"Traci is over there," she whispers so quietly that he barely hears her.

"What? Seriously?" He asks, glancing over her shoulder to scan the bar. It takes him a second, but he finally spots her and they lock eyes right away. She's giving him a strange look that he can't quite read and he's guessing that she saw everything he was just doing a minute earlier. And yeah, it's not like they could pretend it was just to uphold their cover.

He tears his eyes away from her and focuses back on Andy. "What's she doing here?" He asks, even though he knows it's a dumb question. It's not as if Andy would know the answer to that.

"I have no idea. I'm gonna go ask her," she decides, still speaking softly in order to hide their conversation from everyone else.

"Uh… That's a bad idea," he reminds her.

"I'll go into the bathroom and I'm guessing she'll meet me in there… Once we're alone, we can talk. I'll be quick," she promises.

"Okay," he agrees.

She nods and offers him a small smile as some sort of thank you for trusting her. She squeezes his hand and then walks towards the bathroom. And she's right because Nash doesn't waste a second before she follows her.

The second Andy gets inside the woman's bathroom, she checks each stall just to make sure she's completely alone. And Traci walks in the moment after she's checked the last one.

"What are you doing here?" Andy asks the second the door swings closed.

"Boyd is making us do this UC exercise… all we have is a bus token and whoever comes back with the most money and drugs wins," she explains. Before Andy has a chance to respond, Traci is interrogating her. "What the hell was that back there? With Swarek," Traci asks.

"We're acting," Andy shrugs, knowing full well that there's no way on God's green earth that Traci will buy that excuse. For God's sake, he was sucking on her neck and had his hand was underneath her sweater. How the hell would that be necessary to sell their cover?

"That was _not_ acting," Traci argues. "There's something actually going on between you two," she adds, and not one bit of it is a question.

"Um…." is all Andy can come up with. She really doesn't want a lecture from Traci right now and she cannot be sitting in this bathroom much longer without being suspicious.

"Andy, that is so stupid. That is such a bad idea," she continues.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but… look, I just… I don't care, okay? It happened and… and I'm happy it happened," she admits, decidedly giving up on trying to deny it. It's not as if Traci believed her for even a second.

Traci lets out an audible sigh. "You… you look happy," Traci admits. "And… it is nice to see you smile again," she adds.

Andy smiles. "Pretty much can't _stop_ smiling," Andy tells her. "Wish I had taken him off ice a long time ago," she says, causing Traci to let out a small laugh.

"Just… please be careful, okay? You can't let what's going on between you to cloud your judgment… this is dangerous, Andy," Traci reminds her.

"Candace… I'm Candace," Andy informs her. "And I know it is, but we know what we're doing and he won't let anything happen," she says with all the confidence in the world. And it's moments like these when she kind of shocks herself with how much she trusts him.

Traci nods and then comes a little closer. She picks up Andy's left hand and inspects the ring on her finger. "That's some ring," she observes.

Andy grins. "He picked it out," Andy tells her. For some reason, it just seems important that she knows that… that he actually took the time to pick out a ring that he thought she would like, even though it was just for pretend and they weren't anything back then. "Way nicer than my last one, right?" she asks, when Traci doesn't say anything.

"Yeah," Traci agrees before releasing her hand.

"Well, I gotta get back," Andy tells her.

"Yeah. Okay," Traci says with a nod. Then she wraps her arms around Andy's neck and gives her a hug. "Be safe, okay?"

"You, too," Andy says.

Then, just as they're about to walk out the door, Traci turns around with a mischievous smile and asks, "how is it?"

Andy lets out a little laugh and grins big. "Heavenly."

Traci laughs at that. "Yeah, I bet… I mean, even if he wasn't all over you out there, I would've known something was going on… You definitely look like you've been getting something _heavenly_ on the regular," Traci teases.

"Shut up," Andy says with a blush before opening the door and heading back to Sam, while Traci heads to the exit.

When she gets back to the pool table, she walks right up to Sam, steps in between his legs and wraps her arms around his neck.

"Everything okay?" He asks.

"Yeah," she says with a nod before resting her head where his neck meets his shoulder. "Wanna get out of here?"

===============Pretend===============

It's almost two hours later when they are lying in bed, tangled up in the sheets and attempting to catch their breath.

"So, you gonna tell me what Nash was doing there tonight?" He asks when his heartrate starts to normalize.

"Some UC exercise Boyd set up… something about only having a bus token and needing to get as much money and drugs as you can by morning," she explains as she places chaste kisses up and down his throat.

"Ah," he says, as if he understands completely.

She pulls back to look at him. "He's done this before?" She asks.

"Not just Boyd… the undercover detectives do this with the second year rookies all the time… I did it way back when," he explains.

"Oh yeah? How'd you do?" She asks.

"You really need to ask?" He replies with a smug look on his face.

"So modest," she quips, eliciting a laugh from him.

"I got an eighth of coke, a handful of oxys, a quarter of weed and two ecstasy tablets… oh and $100," he grins with pride.

She rolls her eyes. Of course he did.

He smiles at her and pulls her down to meet his lips. They kiss for a few minutes before they eventually need some air.

"So what else did Traci say?" He asks.

"She said I uh… she said that I look happy," Andy replies.

"Oh yeah?" Sam asks with a smile as he starts to play with her hair.

"Mhm and very… satisfied," Andy adds with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Hm… did she?" Sam says with a cocky grin. "Very perceptive that one," he adds with a playful pinch of her hip.

"I am, you know," she tells him.

"Satisfied? Yeah, I kind of figured," he teases with a grin.

She rolls her eyes, but the smile on her face gives her away. "And happy," she clarifies.

That's when his face turns serious and he just looks at her for a second, still running his fingers through her hair. "Me too," he tells her. "Really happy," he adds.

She smiles and leans in for a kiss that doesn't last as long as either of them would like. "And satisfied?" she asks with a smirk.

He lets out a laugh. "Yes, and satisfied. Definitely satisfied."

===============Pretend===============

Well, I hope you liked it.

And spoiler, I don't think Traci will be the only person they run into from their old life.

Please review!

Once again, any and all ideas are welcome!


	10. Uncertainty

Here is the last chapter… Just an FYI, some of this is definitely out of character, but seriously- who is _in_ character when they're really drunk? I'm guessing that it's not too many people.

Anyway, I did think about removing the scene, but I kind of liked it and this would be too short without it, so hopefully, it's not too much.

======Pretend=======

She keeps telling herself to calm the fuck down. It's not a big deal. It's nothing really. It's just flirting and it's not as if he's actually flirting back. Sure, he was polite and he may have smiled at her, but that doesn't mean anything.

It's no big deal. Seriously, it's no big deal.

But yeah, no matter how many times she says it, she can't stop herself from worrying a little. She's never really been especially insecure or jealous before, but watching that hot bartender flirt with Sam is making every single insecurity she's ever had pop right back up.

She's not sure if it's because of the whole Luke thing or maybe it's just because Sam hasn't actually come out and told her how he feels. Or maybe it's because they haven't had the talk yet and she really has no clue what they're actually doing when it comes to their future beyond all of this.

Whatever it is, she's just not feeling so great right now.

Anna is her name. And she's just _really_ pretty. She's all long legs, big blue eyes, and perfect boobs. And she's got a ridiculously tiny waist and a gorgeous smile.

And yeah, she's kind of blatant with the flirting. And pretty much every guy in the bar is drooling over the way she keeps sucking on her straw while batting her eyelashes. It's seriously shameless.

So Andy's just trying to calm herself down before she becomes that crazy, jealous, insecure girl that she does not _ever_ want to be.

So, in an effort to do that, she may down a couple more shots than she should. And yeah, now she's just _really_ drunk.

They're sitting in a booth now and she feels like he's maybe not touching her as much as he usually does. And again, she's telling herself that she's being paranoid and crazy. And she's about to scoot closer to him, but then he gets up to go to the bathroom.

And as he walks away, she can't help but stare at his ass in those jeans. God, he's sexy.

And yeah, that's when the liquor kind of takes over. It's also when she decides that she needs to get her hands on him right the fuck now.

So, she lies and tells everyone she needs to pee. And then, she leans against the wall outside the bathroom door and just waits.

"Uh hey," he says with some surprise in his voice when he sees her standing there.

"Hey," she replies as she wraps her arms around his neck, gets him up against the wall and kisses him hard. To his credit, he doesn't seem to miss a beat. One hand immediately lands on her ass while the other sneaks up the back of her shirt.

Eventually, she needs some air so she has to pull away.

"What's gotten into you, Candace?" He asks with a smug grin as she tries to catch her breath.

Normally, she'd roll her eyes at him, but not tonight. Tonight she is drunk and she just… she just wants him. Bad.

"You're like… _really_ sexy," she tells him with her voice all suggestive and breathy.

"Oh yeah?" He asks as his smile widens.

"Mhm," she nods. "And you're like… a stupidly good kisser," she continues as she hooks a finger around his belt loops and pulls him closer.

"Stupidly good?" He asks with an amused laugh.

"Yeah and I really like when you have your hands on me… like _a lot_ ," she tells him. And God, this is _so_ not like her. She doesn't normally say stuff like this, especially when something is so new and seriously, they're in public and anyone could hear, but the liquor is loosening her tongue and the smile on his face is encouraging her to keep going.

"I really like having my hands on you, too," he tells her with his voice all low and sexy. And once the words come out of his mouth, he starts to show her just how much. And maybe it's just her fuzzy mind, but she feels like they are everywhere all at once. Cupping her breasts, curling around her waist, rolling over her hips, grabbing her ass, lifting her thighs around his waist… and they're so warm and rough, but gentle all at the same time. Yeah, she really likes his hands.

"Really like a lot of other things you do, too," she tells him as he starts to kiss her neck.

"Oh yeah?" He asks with a quirked eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Really like when you have your mouth on me… really, really like that," she replies. "Really like having my mouth on _you_ ," she tells him in her bedroom voice as her fingers lightly graze his denim clad cock.

"Christ," he groans.

"Really like when you talk to me in bed, when you play with my hair, when you start to nibble," she says as she takes his ear lobe in between her teeth.

He lets out another audible groan. He's really not sure what has gotten into her tonight, but he honestly cannot say that he's not enjoying it. He just wishes he had a bit more control over the situation. And he wishes they were at home. Yeah, he really wishes they were at home.

"And I really like it when you take me to bed," she tells him.

So yeah, his throat is just about bone dry now.

"Because you're stupidly good at that, too," she adds.

"At taking you to bed?" He asks.

"Yeah… so much so that I pretty much can't stop thinking about it," she confirms.

And yeah, now it's not just his throat that's reacting to her words.

"Jesus," he mutters.

"So… take me home?" She pleads as she looks up at him through her eyelashes.

"Yeah… yeah, let's go," he says with a nod and his voice still sounding a bit dazed.

She grins big and allows him to put her down and lead her out of the bar. And yeah, she might just throw a smile at that flirty bartender as they walk by.

======Pretend=======

The next morning she wakes up to Sam slowly moving around beside her. And her head is absolutely pounding.

"Stop moving," she whines, without opening her eyes.

He lets out an amused laugh and gives her a kiss on the temple. "Remember last night when you told me you weren't that drunk?" He asks with a grin.

"Shut up. You loved it," she accuses.

"Yeah… I guess you're right," he replies, pretending as if it's debatable. "In fact, I wouldn't mind if you propositioned me like that _every_ time we went to Alpine," he teases.

"I'm sure you wouldn't," she replies, still refusing to open her eyes.

He slides closer to her and runs his fingers through her hair. "You need anything?" He asks, softly. "What can I do?" He adds.

"Make my hangover disappear?" She asks with a pout.

"I'll grab some water and Ibuprofen," he suggests.

"Thanks," she mumbles into her pillows.

He returns a moment later and she rolls over to face him while he sits beside her on the bed. He passes her the pills and then the glass of water and watches as she gulps them down.

"You think you can stomach something to eat?" He asks as his fingertips soothingly graze her arm.

"Probably not," she says with a cringe. The thought of food alone is making her stomach churn, so there is no way she'll actually be able to get anything down.

"Okay, why don't you go back to sleep then? I'm gonna go run some errands and head to the gym, so you can have the place to yourself and get some rest, okay?" He offers, still stroking her arm.

"Yeah," she nods. "Thank you," she says with as much of a smile as she can muster.

He smiles back and leans in for a quick kiss. "I'll be back in a couple hours, just call me if you need anything," he tells her before giving her one more kiss.

"K," she nods before she closes her eyes and drifts back to sleep.

======Pretend=======

It's a few hours later that she wakes up and sees him watching television with the volume turned way down. The extra three hours of sleep have significantly improved her hangover, so she decides it's time to get up. She quickly puts on some underwear and one of Sam's t-shirts and then makes a quick pit stop in the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee and chug almost all of it, before she walks over to the couch. She places her cup down on the table and gets in his lap so she's straddling him.

"Feeling better?" He asks as his hands land on her bare thighs.

"Yeah… remind me to never drink that much again," she requests as her arms sneak around his neck and she starts playing with the hair on the back of his head.

"Yeah, I don't know what got into you last night... I've never seen you that drunk before," he tells her as he pushes some hair out of her face.

"I know… I just… I don't know… I was trying to stop myself from acting crazy," she admits.

"By getting drunk?" He asks with furrowed brows.

"Yeah, not exactly the best idea I've ever had," she acknowledges.

"You gonna tell me what's going on?" He asks, obviously aware that there is or was something bothering her.

"Um… I was just… I guess I was maybe feeling a little insecure last night," she confesses.

" _What_? What do _you_ have to feel insecure about?" He asks, incredulously.

"I don't know, it's just… that hot bartender was flirting with you _all_ night… like _shamelessly_ flirting," she declares.

And yeah, he's seriously shocked by her words. The fact that she would ever feel insecure or jealous because some other woman was flirting with him is completely insane to him. Does she seriously not know how crazy he is about her?

"So?" He asks.

" _So_ she's gorgeous and she _wanted_ you," Andy exclaims.

"Well, she had nothing on you," he offers with a smile.

"Oh please," she says with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm serious," he tells her.

"C'mon, she's basically perfect and almost every guy in the bar was drooling over her," she argues.

"Guys drool over you _all_ the time," he replies. "Trust me," he adds with a rather displeased tone.

She rolls her eyes again, but a small smile is now playing on her lips.

"I can't believe _you_ were jealous," he declares.

"I wasn't _jealous_ … I was just… not super happy about the situation," she counters.

"Oh okay," he says with a laugh.

"Shut up," she retorts.

"So, is this why you jumped me at the bar last night? Because you were _unhappy_ about the situation?" He asks with a slightly mocking tone.

"Is that so bad?" She asks, tongue-in-cheek.

"Nope… I think I'm going to have to unknowingly seduce some more bartenders if that's what it gets me," he teases.

"Ugh," she groans, causing him to laugh.

"I'm just kidding," he assures her with a laugh. "But, in case it wasn't obvious… I have no interest in the flirty bartender," he says with a smirk. "Just you," he adds, his tone turning serious, as his fingers graze under her shirt.

======Pretend=======

It's been six weeks since they started sleeping together and she's still not used to how different everything is between them.

Like how he watches her get dressed in the morning. She kind of likes it a lot, actually. The first time he did it, she thought he was still sleeping so instead of grabbing her clothes and heading back to the bathroom after her shower, she just dropped her towel and began getting dressed. She was only wearing her bra and underwear when she noticed him watching. She turned around to walk towards the closet in order to grab a top when she saw him lying on his back and propped up on his elbows watching her. "You're beautiful," he told her when their eyes met. It was the look in his eyes that just… got her. It made her whole body feel warm. She hasn't changed in the bathroom since.

She's also not used to the way he throws out the compliments so freely now, especially during sex. That first night was kind of quiet; she guesses it's because they were kind of figuring each other out and they weren't exactly sure what they were doing yet (not that she's too sure right now), but after that, he started talking to her a lot during sex. And she never used to enjoy that, but she thinks it's because the other guys she'd been with just weren't doing it right. Anyway, now she's _really_ into it. Maybe it's the actual words or maybe it's the way he says them, she's not sure, but now she pretty much wants him talking the entire time.

And he's always flirting with her. Sure, it's not like they weren't ever flirty before- God knows, they were. But now, it's more obvious and she really likes it.

And also the way he just always wants to be touching her. Whether he's holding her hand, tugging on her belt loops, sticking his hand in her back pocket, squeezing her thighs, playing with her hair, kissing her neck, or curling his hands around her waist- it's like he just can't get enough of her. And honestly, she can't get enough of him either. And it's not like she's never experienced the honeymoon phase of a relationship before, but this is something else entirely.

It's just… she would never have expected Sam to act this way- so affectionate and touching her all the time- especially in public. Part of her wonders if maybe it's more JD than Sam, but he acts the same way when they're at home and it's just the two of them, so she's not sure. The thing is, she can't imagine him being like this when they're back to their normal lives and their drinking with their friends at the Penny. She can't imagine him kissing her or pulling her onto his lap in front of Jerry or Oliver.

It's just that he's showing her this completely different side of him and she just… she really likes it. And she is a little afraid that things will be completely different when they get home.

Not that they've ever talked about whether they'll still be together when they get home.

That's another thing that makes her nervous. The uncertainty.

They've just been in their own little bubble for the past six weeks and she's not sure what'll happen once it bursts.

Sometimes she forgets she's actually a cop. Sometimes she really feels like this is her life. She works at the warehouse, she is engaged to JD, she goes to the Alpine with her friends every Friday night.

And even though she loves being a cop and she loves her friends and she misses her Dad, she's kind of really happy right now.

She's enjoying being in this bubble with Sam. She likes making dinner with him every night. She likes snuggling on the couch with him while they watch the hockey game. She likes waking up with his arms wrapped around her. She likes the look on his face when she surprises him with his favorite loaf of bread from the bakery down the street. She likes holding his hand while they walk out of the warehouse together.

She likes all of it- this life they've made together.

And she's just worried that it'll all come crashing down. Like maybe all of this isn't real. Maybe it's just the simple fact that they are here together with no one else around. Maybe it's all some sort of mirage.

And she just doesn't want it to end.

======Pretend=======

"You're being quiet," he observes as he runs his thumb along the back of her hand. She's been staring at their interlocked fingers for way too long and he's starting to get a bit concerned.

"Huh?" She asks, finally prying her eyes away from their hands.

"You're being quiet," he repeats. "Everything okay?"

"Um… yeah," she replies, unconvincingly.

"Andy, what's up?" He asks with a tone that tells her he's not going to let this go until she tells him what's going on.

"I uh… I guess…. I guess I was just wondering if this is a Sam thing or a JD thing," she says as she raises their interlocked hands for a moment.

"What?" He asks, obviously confused.

"I just wouldn't have had you pegged as a hand holding, spooning, public displays of affection kind of guy," she says with a shrug. "So… is that what you're normally like… with other women?" She asks.

"No," he says with a shake of his head.

"Oh… so it _is_ a JD thing," She declares with just a hint of question.

"No," he says again.

"Uh… okay…" she replies, waiting for him to explain.

"No, this isn't what I'm usually like, but it's not a JD thing either," he tells her.

"Oh," she says as a smile creeps across her lips, encouraging him to go on.

"I don't know, I guess I never really wanted to be that guy, but now… I don't know, I just… want to," he admits with a shrug, obviously a little uneasy about his confession. "I mean, nothing about you and I has ever been normal," he adds, trying to lighten things up a bit.

"Well, I love it when you're that guy," she assures him with a big grin before she leans in for a kiss while he's squeezing her hand. She lets herself get lost in it for a minute or so before she eventually pulls away and settles herself under Sam's arm. She rests her head on his chest as their legs tangle together and they lie quietly for a few minutes, just enjoying each other.

And as much as she is enjoying it, there is still one thought that is going crazy in her mind- one question that needs to be answered. And after going back and forth about it for a couple minutes, she decides that she just _needs_ to know.

"What happens when we get home?" She blurts out before she loses her nerve.

"What do you mean?" He asks, seemingly unfazed by her question.

"You _know_ what I mean," she responds as she lifts her head to meet his eyes.

"What do you _want_ to happen when we get home?" He wonders.

"I asked you first," she reminds him.

He takes a deep breath, but then looks deep into her eyes. "When we get home… I want it to be just like this… I want us to be together," he admits.

"Yeah?" She asks, a smile quickly spreading across her lips.

"Yeah," he confirms with a nod.

"Me too."

======Pretend=======

Well, that is the end…. Sad that it's over, but I just didn't have enough ideas for even one more chapter, so I needed to end it.

I hope everybody liked it! Please don't forget to review!


	11. Home

So… apparently I lied about the last chapter being the end lol. When I decided to end the story, I still had a few other chapters half-written, I just couldn't figure out where to go with them so I kind of gave up. Anyway, inspiration randomly struck and I was able to finish this chapter. Not sure if there will be anymore… I don't think there will be, but we'll see. I MAY post another chapter with some of my half-written drabble, but only if I can't find another story to use it in.

Anyway, hope this is a nice surprise!

===========PRETEND===========

"I can't believe it's our last night here," Andy muses as her fingers skim Sam's bare chest while the two of them lie in bed together.

"I know," Sam concurs as his hand explores her bare back.

After ten months of working for Jamie Brennan, they have come up with nothing. And it definitely wasn't from lack of trying; there really was nothing to find. After all of this time, they were finally sure that he hadn't gone back to his old ways after the death of his wife and daughter. During the ten months at the warehouse, neither Sam nor Andy saw anything even remotely suspicious. And Andy had quite a few peeks at his books and his phone and everything was completely clean.

It took a lot of convincing before Boyd finally agreed that the job was over, but during their monthly meeting yesterday afternoon, he informed them that they would spend the next day and a half tying up all their loose ends, so they could come home. The official story was that they had to go to Vancouver to care for one of Candace's sick relatives and they had to leave tomorrow morning. When they told Jamie, he gave them each their last paychecks, which included an extra four hundred dollars, and told them that if they ever needed anything, to please contact him. And when they told their friends, they treated them to one last dinner and drinks at the Alpine and told them to call when they came back.

And yeah, the mixture of emotions that coursed through Andy when Boyd told them that they'd be going home, surprised her. She expected to feel relieved that the op was over and excited to see her friends and family again- and she did feel those things- but mostly, she felt sad that it was all coming to an end.

It's just that, she's really going to miss the life she and Sam built as JD and Candace. She's going to miss all of the wonderful friends they made and the amazing studio apartment they lived in, but most of all, she's going to miss Sam.

She knows that she'll still see him all the time when they get home, so it's kind of ridiculous to be feeling the way she does, but she also knows that it just won't ever be like this again. Over the past ten months, they've had no one else but each other and living together and relying on each other the way they did- it forced them to get so much closer. She doesn't think she's ever felt so completely connected to another person like she does with Sam and she's just worried that once they get home and back to their real lives and their real friends and all of the other distractions that come along with that, things will change.

She feels like she's gotten to know this completely different side of him- the side that is affectionate and not so completely terrified of expressing himself. And even though she thought the Sam she knew before they left was amazing, she really likes the one she knows now and she doesn't want to give him up. She theorizes that maybe he was able to open up so freely and be so overtly affectionate because he had the guise of JD to somewhat hide behind. But what happens when he is just Sam again? Will he revert back to the man he was before all of this?

So yeah, she's just worried that side of him will disappear when they get home.

And that's why she's feeling so sentimental about leaving.

"Is it weird that I kind of don't want it to be over?" She asks as she tilts her head to look up at him.

He gives her a small smile and interlocks their fingers so their hands are resting on his chest. "No," he assures her. "I feel the same way," he confesses.

"Really?" She asks, unable to hide her surprise.

"Yeah," he confirms with a nod. "Usually I feel so relieved when an op is over, but this time… I'm gonna miss this," he tells her as he blindly gestures around the room.

"Yeah," she nods as she rests her head back on his chest and silence falls over the apartment for a few minutes. On the one hand, it's comforting to know that he's feeling the same way. But on the other hand, it also exacerbates her fears. The fact that he's going to miss this, too… it's just confirmation that things _will_ be different when they get home and that just… sucks.

As Sam lets out a breath, she is suddenly dragged from her thoughts. She tilts her head to look up at him, keenly aware that he is trying to say something, but apparently having some difficulty doing so.

"So are you uh… are you planning on staying with Nash when we get home?" He wonders.

"Oh… um… yeah, I guess," she says with a shrug. The truth is, she hasn't really thought about it. Honestly, it had kind of slipped her mind that she has no place to live when they get back.

"Well, I was thinking… maybe you could… maybe you could stay with me," he offers, trying to sound more confident than he feels. Yeah, they said they were going to be together when this was over, but that was months ago and they never actually discussed the logistics of it all, so he's feeling a little nervous. He doesn't want to freak her out by pushing too much too soon, but the thought of not waking up to her every morning is just… awful.

And yeah, she's obviously surprised by his suggestion because she whips her head up off his chest to get a good look at him and her eyes have widened considerably. "You… you want me to _live_ with you?" She asks. "You mean like… until I find a place?" She wonders as if she's testing him out a bit.

"Yeah... or… or longer… if you want," He proposes, attempting to sound somewhat nonchalant.

"Are you saying you want me to… move in? Like _permanently_?" She asks. "You don't think it's too soon?" She questions.

He lets out an amused laugh as he runs his fingers through her hair. "We've been living together for the past ten months," he reminds her.

"I know," she says with a slightly sheepish smile. "But I mean… that's not exactly the same thing," she replies.

"How so?" He wonders.

"Well… this was never permanent," she says, gesturing around the room. "And it was never your place or my place, it was always _our_ place, so no one ever felt like one person was infringing on the other person's space," she explains. "And who knows what things will be like when we get back," she adds.

"What does _that_ mean?" He asks with a furrowed brow as his muscles start to tense. He doesn't exactly love the sound of that.

"I just mean… well, what if you feel differently once we're home?" She clarifies.

"Why would I feel differently?" He questions.

"I don't know… I mean Sam, we've kind of been in our own little bubble here… I guess I'm just worried that things will change when we go back to our real jobs and our real lives," she confesses.

"Andy, nothing is gonna change on my end. I'm still gonna want to be with you," he assures her.

"You can't promise that… You don't know how you'll feel," she argues.

"Andy, this… this is what I've wanted for a long time… since way before we went undercover… back when we were at our _real_ jobs and living our _real_ lives," he conveys.

"Yeah?" She asks with a smile.

" _Yes_ ," he confirms.

Her smile widens and she leans in to kiss him a few times before pulling away. "Me too, you know," she tells him.

"Hm?"

"I wanted this back then, too," she confesses.

"Yeah?" He asks, somewhat skeptical.

"Yeah," she nods. "Remember when you called me and asked me to go under with you?" She asks.

"Yeah," he responds, unsure what that has to do with anything.

"And remember how I said I was on my way to your place?" She continues.

He responds with a simple nod of his head.

"And remember how I said I left you a voicemail?" She adds.

"Mhm," he replies.

"Well… that voicemail… it was me saying that I was tired of waiting, tired of not going after what I want… basically, I wanted us to make the most of your three weeks," she confesses. "And so… yeah… that's why I was coming over," she continues.

"Seriously?" He asks, in complete shock.

"Yeah," she nods.

"Wow."

"Yeah," she repeats with a chuckle before a silence falls over the room. When she glances over at him, she can immediately tell he's a little lost in his thoughts. "What are you thinking about?" She wonders.

"I was… I was just thinking that… that maybe we could get a place together," he offers, as if it's not the huge deal it is. "That way nobody is infringing on the other person's territory… it would be _our_ place… just like this is," he says, gesturing around the room.

"You _really_ want to do that?" She asks.

"Yeah," he confirms with a nod. "I really do."

"You _really_ aren't worried?" She probes.

" _Why_ would I be worried?" He questions.

" _Because_ … I mean, we can say that our feelings won't change, but things _will_ be different when we get home… it won't be just us anymore," she reminds him before she lets out a breath. "I feel like… well… this whole time, it's just been you and I… and because of that, we really relied on each other. We _needed_ each other, you know?" She asks, earning a nod from the man lying beside her. "And that forced us to work out any problems that came up… especially considering the fact that neither one of us would've been able to leave, even if we wanted to. But when we go back home… there's nothing forcing us to work out our issues and there's nothing stopping one of us from just deciding to up and leave one day," she explains. "That doesn't scare you?" She inquires.

"It scares me," he confirms with a nod as he reaches for her and maneuvers her on top of him. "But it doesn't make me change my mind about us… And while I'm sure there will be some bumps along the way, we'll both just have to trust that we won't give up on each other, okay?"

"Okay," she nods as a small smile plays on her lips.

"You trust me?" He asks.

"Sam, of course I trust you," she assures him.

"Good, because I promise you… I'm not going to walk away, I'm not going to give up on us… I'm in this," he vows, before he takes a deep breath and locks his eyes with hers. "I love you," he tells her as he cups her cheeks in his hands.

"You… you do?" She asks, completely shocked.

"Yeah, I do," he confirms as a smile plays on his lips.

" _Sam_ … I love you, too," she tells him, unable to keep the emotion from her voice.

His smile widens and he just stares at her for a few seconds, trying to memorize everything about this moment. Then, he eventually pulls her towards him so he can get his mouth and hands all over her.

===========PRETEND===========

"Glad to have you back, brother," Oliver says as he claps his hand on Sam's back while they walk into the locker room together.

"Glad to be back," Sam replies as he opens his locker. He finally just finished his debrief and all he wants to do is grab Andy, get a quick drink at the Penny and then take her home.

"So, uh…. question for you," Oliver begins as he leans his shoulder against the lockers and crosses his arms, while looking at Sam, expectantly.

"What's up?" Sam asks, still digging around in his locker.

"Well, uh… is something going on between you and McNally?" Oliver inquires.

"What makes you say that?" Sam asks, peering out from his locker and attempting to hold back a smile.

"Just call it brotherly intuition," Oliver quips.

Sam rolls his eyes, but a smile plays on his lips.

"So… _is_ something going on?" Oliver probes.

"Yeah," Sam confirms with a shrug.

"Hm… well, I'm happy for you, brother," Oliver says with a silly grin on his face while giving Sam another pat on the back. "And I'm also _really_ happy for me because you and McNally just won me $1,000," Oliver adds with that playful tone of his.

"Really? You and Jerry bet on us? _Again_?" He asks, trying to sound angry, but failing miserably.

"Well… yeah," Oliver shrugs.

"I wish I could say I was surprised," he says with a shake of his head.

"Well Sammy… with this job, you gotta get your entertainment where you can," he tells him. "And you and McNally are pretty entertaining."

===========PRETEND===========

"So…" Traci begins as she gives Andy an eager look while the two of them are in the locker room together.

"So…?" Andy questions.

"What's going on with you and Swarek?" Traci probes.

"What do you mean?" Andy asks, playing dumb.

Traci immediately rolls her eyes. "Was it just a… what happens undercover stays undercover thing or… is it… serious?" She asks.

Andy can't help but smile at the question as she turns to look at her best friend. "It's serious," she informs her. "He uh… he wants us to get a place together," she adds.

"Really?" Traci asks as her eyes fill with surprise.

"Yeah," Andy nods.

"Wow…" Traci replies. "Are you going to do it?" She wonders.

"I don't know," Andy shrugs.

"What's stopping you?" Traci asks.

"I don't know… I mean… I guess I'm a little afraid of fucking all of this up by moving too fast, you know?" Andy questions. "I did the same thing with Luke and look how that turned out… I really don't want things to fall apart with Sam," she adds.

"Yeah, I get that," Traci responds.

"But… I also _do_ want to do it… living with him these past ten months, it's been amazing and I don't want it to end… I want to keep moving forward and I kind of feel like if I got my own place… it'd be like we're moving backwards," she explains. "And just because things ended badly with Luke… I shouldn't let that affect my relationship with Sam… I mean, Sam and I are nothing like Luke and I… everything with Luke… it just never seemed completely right and with Sam… it… it does… With Luke, it felt like we were moving too fast, but with Sam… he makes me happier than I've ever been… and I can completely be myself around him… he just… he _knows_ me and… and I know him," Andy explains.

"So, you're going to do it, then?" Traci inquires.

"Yeah, I think I am," Andy decides as a smile appears on her face. "I mean, I'm not even 100% sure he was serious about it, but… if he was… then, yeah," she adds as her smile starts to grow.

"When is Sam Swarek _not_ serious?" Traci asks with a laugh.

Andy chuckles at her friend's suggestion. She used to feel the same way. There was a time when she thought that Sam was mostly serious and grouchy and intense and sarcastic, but over the three years that she's known him, he's invited her to see the person he actually is. She's learned that, among other things, he's thoughtful and selfless and supportive and trustworthy. And even more recently, she's learned that he's attentive and passionate and playful. Yeah, he's still serious and sarcastic and sometimes, he's grouchy, but he's also so many other wonderful things… some of which, she's still learning.

"Oh you have no idea," Andy says with a bit of a smirk and a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrows, causing a burst of laughs to come spilling out of her friend.

===========PRETEND===========

"It's pretty weird being back," Andy muses as she snuggles into Sam's chest that night.

"That's normal… give it a couple days and it won't feel so weird," he informs her.

"It's just… so much has happened since we left," she explains. "With us and with everyone else," she clarifies.

"Well, it _has_ been ten months," he reminds her.

"Yeah," she shrugs. "So… um…" she begins.

"What's on your mind, McNally?" He asks with a slightly teasing tone.

"Well… I guess… I mean… what… what's the plan?" She asks. "For us, I mean," she clarifies. "Are we telling people about us or are we keeping it to ourselves?" She wonders.

"Oh uh… do you _want_ to keep it to ourselves?" He asks. To be honest, the thought that she would want to keep them a secret never even crossed his mind. He practically wants to shout it from the rooftops.

"No," she replies with a shake of her head.

"Okay good… because Oliver already knows," he informs her with a chuckle.

"Well, I guess that explains the looks he was giving me earlier," she says with a laugh.

"He's never been known for his poker face," Sam chuckles.

"Well, if Oliver knows then I'm guessing the whole station will know by tomorrow," she muses.

"Probably," Sam agrees. "That bother you?" He wonders.

"No," she says with a shake of her head. "I can't wait to show you off," she teases.

He lets out a quick laugh and then pulls her in for a chaste kiss.

"So… it's our first actual shift back tomorrow… in uniform… on the streets… being cops again," she declares.

"Well, I know how much you missed that blue polyester, McNally," Sam quips.

"Oh yeah," she agrees, sarcastically. "But uh… is this…" she begins, as she gestures between the two of them. "Is this going to affect work? Will they still let us be partners?" Andy asks.

"I think Frank will let us stay together until we give him a reason not to," Sam explains.

"Okay… good," Andy replies as Sam plants a kiss on the top of her head while her fingers graze his chest. "Hm… I guess I'm gonna have to give this back tomorrow, too… I completely forgot to do it earlier," she muses as she glances down at the ring still sitting on her finger.

"You mean you weren't trying to smuggle it home?" He asks as he takes her hand and begins to play with the ring.

"Ha ha," she says, sarcastically. "I've just been wearing it so long, I don't even really think about it anymore," she explains. "It's going to be so weird not wearing something there," she tells him as she, too, touches the diamond ring.

"Yeah," he agrees as he continues to fidget with the ring. And yeah, he knows it's completely insane, especially considering the fact that they haven't even been together a year, but he's already imagining a time where she's wearing another ring on her finger… one he actually bought for her. "So uh… when do you wanna start looking for a place?" He wonders.

She tilts her head up to look at him and smiles. "You were really serious about that?" She asks.

"Of course I was serious," he assures her. "This is what I want… you and me… everything we were pretending to be these past ten months… I want all of that with you… for real," he admits.

"Me too," she tells him with a completely breathtaking grin on her face. "I want that, too," she adds.

"I love you," he expresses as he looks affectionately into her eyes.

"I love you, too."

===========PRETEND===========

Well, hope this was a nice surprise! I think this ending is a little better, hope you agree!

Please review!


End file.
